New Area Presidency in the Pacific

Pacific Area Presidency - L to R:  Elder S. Gifford Nielsen; Elder O. Vincent Haleck, and Elder Craig A. Cardon;
 Photo from Mormon Newsroom.

We had a special devotional today to welcome the new Pacific Area Presidency.  All of us here at the PAO already know and love Elder Nielsen and Elder Haleck.  Elder Haleck is now the new President following the release of Elder Pearson.  The new counselor is Elder Craig A. Cardon.  It was great to get to hear both he and his wife speak so we could get familiar with them.

Elder and Sister Cardon are from Arizona.  As it happens,  he and Larry met before when they both were serving Stake Missions and were ordained at the same time by Sterling W. Sills in 1974.  Elder Cardon mentioned this in his remarks to the group.

I especially appreciated Sister Cardon's talk.  She spoke of their time in Rome, Italy when her husband served as mission president there.   It was a busy time for her with seven young children and many responsibilities as a mission president's wife.   She talked about the overwhelm and discouragement she sometimes felt when it seemed impossible for her to keep up with all that was expected of her.  Then she recognized that she really could not do it alone, but that with the Lord as her guide she was never alone.  She spoke of learning to rely on the Savior in all things, both in having discernment to know what things were needful and in having the strength to do whatever was asked of her.  Wise words! 

Afterward, when her husband spoke, he paid her high tribute as a woman of faith who abhorred conflict.  I thought about that a lot.  In today's world argument and contention are so common.  I thought about ways that I can be a peacemaker.

A group of the employees sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" and did a great job. Music truly brings a special spirit to our meetings. 

 At the close of the devotional Elder and Sister Cardon shook hands with every person there.Then we all gathered in the lunchroom to enjoy refreshments and visit.  Some of the staff and sister missionaries had spent the whole morning cutting up fresh fruit and veggies and arranging platters various hors d'oeurves and sweets.  It was quite a spread.

These special gatherings are times we will long remember of our service here in the Pacific Area Office.  We truly do serve with some great people.

(Note:  All photos, with exception of top one from Mormon Newsroom, taken by Elder Reed Spencer.  Thanks for sharing!)