April 14, 1985 Billings, Montana

Dearest Johnny; Roy; Bob, Claire, Michael & Laura; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean & Mary Ann; and Ron, Ann, Susanna Jessie, Russell & LeeAnna:

Happy Birthday to Jessie last Thursday and to Jeannie this next Tuesday - we hope you have had fun birthdays - it was fun to be with you for the surprise party Annie and her family had for you while we were there!!!

The past two weeks seem almost like a dream now. It was just WONDERFUL being with all the Utah family and we appreciate so much all that was done for us - the delicious meals and just everything. We are so PROUD of the way our grandchildren are being reared (we know Michael & Laura are having the same training the others are) - we have talked so much about how sweet they are to each other and all the church programs that are being practiced and taught in your homes. We're also proud of Johnny and the responsible young man he is and it was so good to see him in his apartment - I didn't get to meet his room mates but I was impressed with the neatness of the apartment. It's hard for me to understand how Ann & Jean can have such beautiful and well kept homes with their little families so young and active!!!

It was really fun to stay in the Motel Utah - I have always wanted to stay there and it was almost like home after five days there. Our room was big and beautiful - quite a change from the Super 8 motels - and the weather was so gorgeous our view was really nice. I guess I will always regret that our grandchildren didn't get to come spend some time with us in the hotel but as Daddy kept reminding me, that would have meant a lot more to me than to them!

Conference was special but there were at least a million people there and from now on we'll enjoy it just as much at home in front of the television set - it was really great to see Pres. Kimball in person though (also Pres. Romney) and also Elder McConkie because I guess his disease is terminal and he won't be with us much longer. We had tickets to get into the tabernacle but the seats were so hard and there were so many people it was almost uncomfortable.

I must tell you about the wonderful experience we had on Monday after conference. All the Mission Presidents & their wives from all over the world met in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square at 8 o'clock in the morning and we heard talks from some of the General Authorities. About 11 o'clock we went through the underground tunnel to the Salt Lake Temple, (this is reserved for General Authorities most of the time) and we were invited to go to the firth floor - most of the people went up by elevator but Daddy and I wanted to walk up the spiral stairways. You just wouldn't believe that room - it is one of the most gorgeous rooms I have ever been in and the spirit there is indescribable. Elder Boyd Packer was the last speaker at the meeting prior to going to the temple and he closed the meeting early and suggested we go to the firth floor and just meditate until it was time to start the sacrament meeting. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. There were special red velvet chairs on different levels for the Melchizedek Priesthood on one side of the room and the same on the other side for the Aaronic Priesthood. After all the Mission Presidents and their wives were assembled and also the First Quorum of Seventies and their wives then the Quorum of the Twelve came in the Pres. Kimball & Pres. Hinckley - there wasn't a dry eye in the whole group when Pres. Kimball waved to all of us (he can't speak). Then we had to sacrament - the two senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve blessed it and the Quorum passed it. I don't know what ewe have ever done to be worthy of having such a marvelous experience but it is one we will never, ever forget. Pres. Hinckley told us that room had only been used about three times except for Quorum of the Twelve meetings and that was for the temple dedication, solemn assemblies and one time they brought some missionaries there from the MTC for a special meeting.

We got to see a lot of people we hadn't seen for a long, long time. Russell & Dantzel Nelson (I went to school with Dantzel), Boyd & Donna Packer, Ted Tuttle (Daddy went to school with him), George Merrill (also a picture of his new wife), Junius & Douglas Driggs from Phoenix, Malcolm Jeppson and his son (Marian wasn't with him), and Bob - your former Mission President from Colombia, Pres. Jensen looked us up and said he wanted to meet us because he thought so much of you - we told him all about what you are doing now and he said to give you his love - we wished we could have had more time to visit with him. We also ran into Jim Griffin in the elevator but we were on our way one way and he was on his way the other way. We were thrilled to run into Alice, Claire's Mom, But we didn't get to see Bob - they were on their way to have dinner with Carolyn's in-laws and then they were going to Oregon to visit with Carolyn. We kept looking for Art & Ann but didn't get to see them.

I don't know if I had told you that we had a big Mission Tour all scheduled for this week with Elder George P. Lee - that is one of the reasons they let us drive instead of flying because we were going back to Missoula and meet him. Well - after one of the meetings on Sunday we just happened to run into him and he casually mentioned that he might not be able to come for the tour BUT he said, don't make any changes until I talk to you Monday. We went immediately from the temple to his office and he wasn't there and his secretary told us she didn't know of any changes in his plans. We were really in a tizzy but there wasn't anything for us to do but hurry and get to Missoula as we had planned - we stopped at least a dozen times on our way back and Daddy called his office and also his home and they couldn't find him - his wife & secretary were really embarrassed but they kept telling Daddy that his plans probably hadn't been changed. We got in Dillon, Montana about 9:30 Monday night and Daddy finally reached him at his home - he was so calm and said, "Well, President, I have had a change of plans - they have scheduled some area presidency meetings in Salt Lake and I have to attend them this week". I thought Daddy was going to have a stroke but he was nice to him! Daddy spent most of the night Monday calling at over the State of Montana canceling every thing we had planned. You just wouldn't believe all the preparations that had been made for his visit - five dinners, two luncheons, five firesides that involved people traveling hundreds of miles, tri and quad zone conferences for the missionaries, motel reservations, plane reservations - to say nothing of all the printed programs. It was too late to cancel the tri-zone conference in Missoula because the missionaries had already left their areas to get there on time so we had that one and Daddy did a marvelous job - he started out his talk by saying, "I know you're looking up on the stand and thinking, where's the beef" - the missionaries all love him more than they do Elder Lee so they weren't disappointed with the conference but we had canceled the dinner following it and they were disappointed about that!! We have found out since that there is a real shake-up in the areas presidencies and Elder Lee won't be over our area and neither will Loren Dunn - we don't know the details yet but we know it was something that had to be done.

I wish you could have seen this Mission Home when we got here on Wednesday - it was absolutely spick and span - the House Elders had everything polished inside & out - we think they must have started working on it when we first left and didn't stop until we got back. Daddy was so proud of them he bought three huge supreme pizzas and pop for them - of course, they loved that!!! This is really the best office staff we have ever had.

We met the new couple who will be taking our places and they are just darling - they seem really young to us. They have eight children - their two oldest are married, they have two sons on missions and they will bring four with them, ages; a girl 16 and boys, 14, 11, 8 They want us to have the Elders find apartments to live in because they want the home for themselves - I can't help but envy them but we don't blame them. They are going to have a wall and door built separating the living quarters from the office area so it will really be a great private home. Things will really be different here but they always are when a new President comes in - she says she won't travel and leave her children & I have traveled all the time. We wouldn't trade the way we have done it but I really believe we have done it the hard way - I know it has really been hard for Johnny but good for him in the long run!

We just got back from Great Falls where we went yesterday for their Stake Conference. They really honored us today and said the nicest things - it makes it all worthwhile. We both spoke and they gave me a beautiful corsage and Daddy a boutonniere.

Claire - thanks so much for the card from Mexico and also your sweet letter - it sounds like you had a wonderful and relaxing time. I laughed at your Mother - she said she had to get a sitter one day and go to the library - I can relate to that!!!!

Ricky, Barji & Mary Ann - thanks so much for your pictures about Easter - we loved them!

We love each one of you so very much and we're so proud of you. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let us know how we can help you!
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