New Developments in LDS Social Services

I am pleased to be with you today at this conference. It is always a pleasure to meet with individuals who have a common interest, that of striving to provide professional help to individuals who are struggling with life's challenges. I am reminded of my softball days as a youth in the rural town of Hoytsville, Utah. Life there was a little less sophisticated in many ways. Our playing field often had to be mowed, raked and baled before we could play on it. I remember the last regular league game I played in before leaving there. It was quite unbelievable. Our team was leading by one point. It was the bottom of the last inning. Two of their men were out. There was no one on base and their best hitter was up to bat. Of course if he scored, the game would be tied and extra innings would become necessary. (It is important to note that the umpire was from Hoytsville and a good friend of the team.) I was playing shortstop. With a full count, the batter swung hard and hit a drive just past me into the uncut grass. I searched desperately as he passed first base. Noting my frustration, the batter went on to second and then third base. I still couldn't find the ball, but as he passed third base a small rabbit jumped out of the grass near my hand. I grabbed him, and out of desperation, threw him as hard as I could to home plate. The catcher, at first not realizing it was a rabbit, caught it and tagged the runner out at homeplate. However, the runner immediately saw that the catcher had a rabbit instead of the ball and bitterly protested. Thank goodness the umpire, being the fine man that he was, saved the game by declaring the runner was "out" by a Jiare. Hopefully today I can continue discussing the truth and provide you some insight into developments of LDS Social Services. Beginnings To accurately understand the direction LDS Social Services is going, it is necessary to know something about our "roots." Future direction usually takes on a more meaningful perspective when we glance back occasionally and see where we have been. While we can't look back too long lest we lose our present direction, we can indeed gain meaningful insights and make corrections which will help our future course. A glance backward in LDS Social Services is indeed