Thoughts, ideas, and messages from leaders, teachers, and members of the Pheasant Valley Ward to support home-centered discipleship.
All members are encouraged to attend in-person to partake of the emblems of the sacrament. If you are unable to attend in-person, please reach out to Bishop Wilson to discuss arrangements for you to partake of the sacrament at home.
As a reminder, this is the link for the sacrament meeting broadcast:
12:00 pm - https://www.youtube.com/@pheasantvalleybishopric9636/streams
Ward Egg Hunt: all primary children are invited to come for a fun egg hunt. It will be on March 21st from 10-11 am. Please have each participant bring 12 filled eggs and their basket/container. We will meet at the Stake Center pavilion. There will be an area for little kids and an area for big kids. In case of inclement weather, we will hunt inside. Come and have some Easter fun together!
Building Cleaning: this month, it is our ward’s responsibility to clean our building with this Saturday’s assignment to include all those with last names beginning with R-Z, as well as any other members who would like to serve. This will occur at 9 am.
Ward Choir Rehearsal: we will be meeting at 10am at Caryn Nielsen's house next week (March 1st) and thereafter at the Arrington's house. We welcome all voices, but are especially in need of men.
Dry Creek Stake Emergency Preparedness Fair: Saturday, February 28 from 2 – 4 pm at the stake center.
Highlights: a class on how to stop bleeding, a fire engine in the parking lot and prizes related to emergency preparedness. The Stop-the-Bleed classes will be at 2 - 3 pm. YOU MUST SIGN UP IN ADVANCE FOR THIS CLASS. To do so call or text John Petersen at 385-539-4196 or email him at petersenjc@gmail.com. There will be exhibits with information about storing water, heating your home in an emergency, food storage, 72-hour kits, emergency lighting and cooking, fire extinguishers, and much more.
Elders Quorum Activity: Saturday, April 18th. Details to follow.
Skills Survey: We are looking for ward members to share skills, talents, hobbies, or experiences they would be willing to share with the kids in Activity Days: https://forms.gle/i435CgxpqZXYXDbz6
Should a fire occur at a church building, here are evacuation procedures: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LZvL-TijXE4dOp72yqqLISSaogw9D0eg/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=115386896022331226634&rtpof=true&sd=true
Ward Musical Talent Survey: If you have any musical talents you would be willing to share with the ward, please fill out this survey: https://forms.gle/c1xuVmD68AJ7Lya47 Youth are encouraged to fill this survey out as well.
Please download and install the Gospel Living App. The Circles feature is a communications tool.
Ward Temple Night: 3rd Saturday of every month, the 6 pm session.
Missionary and Service Opportunities:
We are seeking volunteers (age 16+) to assist in the Springville Family Search Center one afternoon or evening a month. (No experience necessary - will train.) For info, e-mail: 2serveutah@gmail.com
The Utah Salt Lake City Mission presidency has produced a video describing who and how Senior Service Missionaries serve in their mission. See https://youtu.be/IA74YQHLhYQ
Stonehenge Sacrament Meeting: will still be at 3 pm. Please feel free to invite your family members to attend and support our local residents and ward members.
2026 Meeting Schedule: Our regular Sunday meetings are from 12:00 - 2:00.
Come Follow Me Manual: If you would like a physical copy of the 2026 Come Follow Me manual, please contact a member of the bishopric. One per family.
Spanish-language Temple Session: A Spanish-language session in the Provo City Center Temple is held at 10:00 am every Saturday.
Gospel Living App: All adult members are encouraged to use the Gospel Living App (churchofjesuschrist.org) (also known as “Circles”) to stay connected to the ward and to keep abreast of what is going on. There are other benefits as well. The Gospel Living app focuses on living a Christ-centered life. You’ll discover inspiring content like music, videos, images, activities, and goal ideas. And you can create personal goals, plan activities, set reminders, record your impressions, or message your quorum, class, friends, and family.
Temple Recommends & Setting Apart: if you are in need of a temple recommend or have yet to be set apart for your calling, we encourage you to meet by the Bishop's office (southeast corner of the meetinghouse) after the 2nd hour and speak with a member of the Bishopric. Temple recommend interviews can also be scheduled for Sunday afternoons by contacting Max Gerasymenko (see information below).
Appointments with the Bishop: if you need to schedule an appointment with the bishop, please contact Max Gerasymenko, our ward executive secretary, at 321-978-8734.
Sunday Worship: all members are encouraged to attend in-person to partake of the emblems of the sacrament. If you are unable to attend in-person, please reach out to the bishop to discuss arrangements for you to partake of the sacrament at home.
As a reminder, this is the link for the sacrament meeting broadcast:
12:00 pm - https://www.youtube.com/@pheasantvalleybishopric9636/streams
This week’s Come Follow Me: February 23–March 1. “Is Any Thing Too Hard for the Lord?”: Genesis 18–23
Click to view the 2026 calendar.
(Some thoughts from January, 2018)
Yesterday was a dark day for me. Probably one of the darkest of my life.
I’m not going to go into the reasons. Some of them are very real. Some of them are not. Some of them are great and some of them are trivial. And quite frankly, when you find yourself staring into the abyss, the how’s and why’s of what brought you to that dread position don’t matter. All that matters is that you feel the darkness closing around you, leeching away light and joy and hope.
And the hardest part? At least for me yesterday? It seemed as if I were completely unable to communicate how I felt. Not that I didn’t try. I did. Sort of. Then I just gave up trying to share how I felt. Perhaps I didn’t want to burden others with my own personal darkness—especially those I love. Perhaps I just felt as if no one else would understand.
For most of my life, I have been able to sense pain in others. I know at times I can be remarkably, even stupendously insensitive, but when my empathic sensors are on, I can pick up on someone else’s pain. I can’t share it. I can’t relieve it. But I can feel it.
Yesterday, I encountered a dear friend. Well, we don’t hang out or anything, but he’s a Choir friend, and over the years, he has become very dear to me. And I saw that he was in pain. And I felt it. Deeply. But I could do nothing to succor him. Already struggling myself yesterday, I felt the darkness reaching for me all the more.
We sang the broadcast. And we sang that beautiful, inspiring song from “Carousel”—“You’ll Never Walk Alone”:
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark.
Walk on through the wind.
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on. Walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you’ll never walk alone.
You’ll never walk alone.
During the broadcast, I sang that song. I sang it with all my heart. With all my soul. Like I always do. But it did nothing to lift my spirits.
I came through the day. I came through my storm. But I did not hold my head up high.
But that day is past. And there IS a golden sky and sweet music this morning.
And I was NOT alone, even when I felt completely abandoned—even when I could see no hope, Hope was there, walking beside me.
Perhaps that’s why I write LDS horror books and why my own stupid stories make me weep like a romance novel editor. I feel the emotions of my characters so deeply, because, quite frankly, they come from inside me. It’s called “horror” for a reason. You see, we all walk through storms, through darkness. But there is that “LDS” part too. It’s NOT really about the darkness. It’s about passing through the storm—passing through darkness to get back to the light—grasping at hope in the midst of hopelessness—and finding it. LDS horror, at least to me, is about finding, in our own way, that our loving Savior is still there. He will not abandon us. He will walk each step of the way as we drag our own individual crosses to Calvary. “Hold on!” he cries. “I know it hurts. I know the pain you’re feeling is real. I have felt it too. All of it. I have carried it all. And I WILL take it away. Just don’t give up. Please believe me. Believe IN me. Walk on through the wind and rain of this life. Let me be your hope. Let me be your golden sky. And you’ll never walk alone.”
As it says in one of my favorite hymns, in the final verse which we rarely sing in Church, but we always sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
I know it’s hard sometimes. I know sometimes it feels as if there is no hope. I know sometimes all you can see is darkness. I know sometimes all you can feel is the weight of your own cross. But hold on. Walk on, dragging your cross. He has never abandoned you and He will never abandon you. He is there, walking beside you, cheering you on, even when you can’t hear Him. And the storm WILL pass. And you WILL be lifted off your cross. And you WILL see Him there with a golden sky and hear the sweet silver song of the lark.
You never walk alone.