Revelations that should not be

Found some things out this weekend I wish I hadn't been told but yet I'm glad I know all the same. I'll reveal more details when the family has been informed. I don't want to use this blog as a way of surprising people and since family reads this blog I must just say it's a whopper. It's had me thoroughly depressed the last two days BUT did not stop me from enjoying myself at Dodger Stadium this Saturday.

Now I'm a Padres fan and therefore you'd think I naturally hate the Dodgers and for most of my life I have. HOWEVER my buddy Scott (Booyah #1...Shaman Booyah...The Red-Headed Elvis...or just Scooter depending on who you are) is a strong Dodger fan. He detracted from the Padres after 1998 when the ownership sold out the fans by dumping players and duping us into voting on a proposition. Well that's how Scott feels anyways. I'm still a fan of the team remember? ANYWAYS, he has been suffering for five years and finally got to see them win a division title...LIVE AND IN PERSON. In fact we had great field level seats down the 1st base line. Aisle 50, Row N, Seats 7&8.

Not only did we get to see them win but we saw a great game. We were down 3-0 going into the bottom of the 9th. I said we huh? OK THEY. THEY were down 3-0. Green singles, then a K by Alex Cora, and three consecutive walks brought LA their first run. Izturis then promptly grounded to short to start what should have been a 6-4-3 game ending double play. INSTEAD he boots it and another run scores making it 3-2 with one out and the bases loaded. A single by Jayson Werth (why can't he spell EITHER name right?) tied the score and brought up Steve Finley. Now I remember April 10th, 1998. That night the Padres were down 4-2 going into the ninth. The crowd started cheering in the 8th when the Pads got a couple guys on but couldn't finish the job. They NEVER SAT DOWN AND NEVER STOPPED CHEERING until about an hour after Finley hit a game winning grand slam off Felix Rodriguez. Now it would be Wayne Franklin's turn. First pitch strike...and then...POP! Hands raised, crowd goes freaking nuts and Scott gets what he's been waiting for in like forever. OK since 1999 but still.

That day he saw the Dodgers clinch, watched the scoreboard as the Angels clinch the AL West Crown, his alma mater UCLA trounced SDSU, AND he found a banner in the store of Hideo Nomo that used to hang in the city streets (along with other players) back in 1996 when he first got to drive around LA with friends. I will be honest and say I bought him a celebratory drink. He'd never had a Scorpion before but apparently he loved it. He went home a very happy (and slightly toasted) man. Couldn't be more happy for a buddy. Well I could but I haven't been in a long long time.

Along with that sports stuff GENERAL CONFERENCE of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was held this weekend. We saw bits of the Saturday morning session and a lot of the Sunday sessions. This month when our Home Teacher stopped by he challenged us to come up with three questions, pray about them and listen to General Conference for the answers. Well it's funny. The first question was answered by the very first speaker. The Second question I had AS WELL as the MAIN question Victoria had was answer by the Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. My third question may have been answered in another talk. I'll have to listen to them all again to see.
Just the fact that our questions were so important to the Lord that he had them answered in the talks was just amazing. Well to be honest these talks were probably written weeks in advance but the Lord brought my mind into a state that I was able to see specific answers in their talks that pertained directly to my questions. Really cool, huh? Apparently it never fails. Not doctrine questions like why are things this way or what about this or why don't we do that...but deep spiritual questions on our own lives. They're always answered in these Conferences.
I was a bit surprised Saturday morning to learn Elder Merril Bateman was not called as a new apostle. As I watched the Conference though I came to know for myself that the men who were called were worthy of such callings and I sustain them completely. Now I KNOW that it IS the Lord and not men who call these apostles. I tend to think if it were a position chosen by men that Elder Bateman may have found himself up there. Even if Elder Bednar was president of BYU-Idaho, Bateman was president of BYU-Utah and that position usually leads to apostleship. Perhaps one day but now wasn't the time and it just strengthened my testimony in the church.

Love you guys. Take care and love one another.