{"chapter_no":"3","chapter_title":"Preparations for Zion Conference","book_id":"4","book_name":"Beauty the World Has Never Seen","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"666","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":4,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 3<\/p>

Preparations for Zion Conference<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

The stake leaders of North Ogden and Springville are assigned important roles in the first day's
morning session of Zion conference.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

The format for the Zion conference was set in the following way: a two-hour morning
session, lunch, and a two-hour afternoon session on day one, and a series of small workshops in
the morning, lunch, and then presentations in smaller groups by geographic area in the afternoon
of day two. In preparation for the event, and given their unique experiences with the ideas and
principles of Zion in their home stakes, President Chandler and President Hancock were asked
by the First Presidency to meet together in advance of the conference to seek out inspiration from
the Lord and then to plan out the agenda and talks for the entire morning session of day one. <\/p>

 <\/p>

It was a big assignment, and it came as a shock to both brethren, humbled by the First
Presidency's faith in them. Theirs was a great responsibility––to get this first ever Zion
conference off to a good start and to help make it successful. Shock, worry, and grief consumed
them. There were only six weeks until the conference... so little time to prepare everything!<\/p>

 <\/p>

Driving down to Springville the day after learning of the assignment, James and Beth had
lunch and spent the afternoon with Mark and Kathleen. Between the four of them, they compiled
a list of many of the principles of Zion that they had learned over the years. But organizing those
principles into a large two-hour presentation, and then delivering them by the Spirit to those
gathered, including the general authorities of the Church who would be in attendance, was not
something either man felt particularly qualified to do. Kathleen, therefore, suggested that Brother
Grant Williams be approached to deliver the main address for the session and that his talented
wife, Carolyn, be selected to help plan the music; the building of Zion was just as much about
being uplifted by music as it was about communicating ideas through the spoken word... or even
more so. Delegating the speaking assignment to someone else was easy. Mark and James eagerly
agreed with Kathleen's suggestion.<\/p>

 <\/p>

At the Williams' home later that evening, Mark shook hands with Grant as he passed
through the door and introduced the Hancocks. Then, with a smile, he spoke these words:<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Brother Williams, we have an important meeting coming up and we would like you to
be the main speaker.\"<\/p>

No mention was made of the grand nature of the event, or that it was in Salt Lake City, or
that all of the stake presidents and all of the general authorities of the Church would be there in
attendance.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Sure, Brother Chandler. What's the occasion?\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

Grant, thus, had already locked himself in.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Well, that's why we have come here today, to help you plan your talk. We were also
hoping that Carolyn could be involved in this as well, to help with the music. Would that be okay
with you, Carolyn?\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Sure, I can do that. No problem,\" responded Carolyn. \"When is it?\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Only six weeks away,\" responded Kathleen with a grin on her face. In fact, all of the
newly arrived guests were grinning ear to ear... to the confusion of Grant and Carolyn.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"There's only one requirement that I have for you on this particular speaking assignment,
Grant,\" said Mark. \"It must be a good talk.\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

The reader will recall that Grant normally gave \"good talks\" by default. Thus, the
admonition repeated on this occasion stirred his emotions.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"So what gives?\" responded Grant, now starting to grin himself as he tried to figure out
what was going on.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Oh,\" said Mark, \"there's one other thing I failed to mention. The talk you give will be in
the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. All stake presidents and their wives from all over the
world, along with all of the general authorities, will be there in attendance for a first ever Zion
conference. Also, there is a significant amount of material that needs to be covered; therefore,
you will be the main speaker for most of the two-hour conference session, broken up into
segments to support the special music Carolyn will select and help with in the arrangements. The
Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will be at our disposal; the Choir director just
needs us to provide a general theme for the morning session and will then work with us over the
next few weeks to plan the musical performances.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Grant's expression, and that of Carolyn, was now one of shock, their eyes opening wide.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Are you kidding me?\" said Carolyn.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Grant could tell he wasn't kidding, having known Mark long enough over the years to
know when he was serious. It was real––the assignment was real. He moved slowly over to the
kitchen table and sat down to steady himself.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"So you want me to do all of the speaking? What will I be talking about for all that
time?\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

James, the younger of the two stake presidents, spoke up, \"Don't worry, Brother
Williams, President Chandler and I have already started putting ideas together. We'll outline the
material that needs to be covered, and then you can prepare your talk around it.\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Well, okay,\" said Grant, looking squarely at Mark a second time and then covering his
face in disbelief. \"I see, so this is just another routine speaking assignment!\" <\/p>

 <\/p>

Mark, still grinning, moved towards him and put his arm on his shoulder. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"I have full confidence in you, Grant. You'll do great! You're going through what Brother
Hancock and I went through yesterday when the First Presidency secretary called us in for initial
interviews. We'll be going to Salt Lake again tomorrow to begin preparing things, and we'd like
you and Carolyn to go with us. Happy to have you on board!\"<\/p>

 <\/p>

Carolyn was still in shock, and not very happy at this moment. She moved over and sat
down next to Grant at the table. Coco, who had been sitting on the chair watching the gathering
of guests in the kitchen, was abruptly moved out of his place to the floor by a brush of her hand.
He had been asked before not to sit there (within paw's reach of the top of the kitchen table
where food is served). Cats, like men, sometimes have to be reminded of what the
commandments are. The quick brush from the chair triggered something in the back of his mind:
Was I doing something wrong here? Maybe I shouldn't have been sitting in that spot<\/i> in the first
place<\/i> like I have been told many times before<\/i>?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

Carolyn's excitement over the assignment was overcome by worry. A Christmas program
for sacrament meeting was one thing, but something this big? Geez! This was a totally different
league. Planning music for an event this size went well beyond anything she had ever considered
doing before. Nevertheless, once she had the chance to work on it and talk with the Choir
director in the weeks that followed, she felt more at ease, leaning upon his knowledge and
expertise and trying to be as helpful as possible. To her surprise, the director was very excited
with her suggestion of the theme music for the conference session. He took her idea and ran with
it, creating yet another masterpiece arrangement in regular order. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Watching and listening later on during rehearsals, Carolyn was completely overwhelmed;
the practice performances of the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square were fun, inspiring, and
incredible to be a part of! She felt like a child in a candy store.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Grant, on the other hand, didn't have it so easy. Brother Chandler and Brother Hancock
provided him the outline material for his talk, but they also told him to seek inspiration from the
Lord first and foremost, to feel free to completely ignore everything they had provided him, and
to just speak whatever words the Lord would put in his heart for the occasion. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Reading and rereading the concepts provided, Grant struggled mightily for the first two
weeks. He struggled because he was worried more about those who would be in attendance and
what they might think of his performance and ability as a public speaker. He had been caught up <\/p>

in the art of \"speech making\" and looking for smooth-sounding words... not relying upon the
Spirit for guidance. He wasted two weeks this way until discovering his error. <\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

From then on, things became easier. He didn't try to write so much as to simply ponder
the message he was trying to convey and listen in his mind for inspiration. To fill the well, and
thus prepare himself to receive inspiration, he took the opportunity to relive his marvelous
experiences from the China trip again by rereading certain passages and stories from Les
Miserables<\/i>. With increased energy in his soul, he then opened up the standard works and went to
work. Slowly, the Spirit was able to break through and penetrate his heart, replacing worry and
confusion with faith and confidence. Grant also made time to go to the temple and further ponder
upon his assignment there, enjoying the atmosphere of the magnificent celestial room in the
Mapleton temple complex. He did all of these preparatory steps and then, with perfect
confidence, just sat back and listened to the voice and promptings of the Spirit.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

In the end, the talk basically wrote itself. Grant's role was simply to get out of the way,
and he was able to do an excellent job of that. When the day of the conference arrived, the talk
was ready, and he was ready<\/span>. <\/p>"}