3rd BRANCH

When Ensign Stake, 3^rd Branch had its annual Conference recently, the statistical report showed that of the 220 Branch members, only 218 were present, and remarkably, 100% of the branch members are currently serving full-time missions.   The Stake President noted how much our Branch contributes to the good health of the Stake’s statistical reports, and that ours was the highest baptizing mission in the Church!

Well I wouldn’t know too much about the statistics, but I do know it’s a fun branch to be part of, with all our members senior missionaries, mostly of U.S origin, but a few from overseas.   There is no program for children, and none for youth, because we just don’t have any, unless somebody’s family or friends are visiting.    Even the so-called ‘young elders’ that are part of our mission aren’t part of our branch, though they do come on Sundays to practice their teaching skills on pairs of us older folks.

We meet in the refurbished old Utah Hotel, now known as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.   It was built under Brigham Young’s direction, and used for over 100 years to host dignitaries visiting Salt Lake City.   From my 1976 visit I recall a plush red carpet, and colonnaded entrance floor featuring a huge, magnificent chandelier, and although the carpet is changed, the chandelier remains.   Our chapel is a refurbished concert hall, complete with alabaster light-fittings, and organ pipes; and the Relief Society room is decorated with medieval picture panels above the coffered walls.   Photo shows Christmas ‘Concert of the Bells’ in the entry hall.

But of course the Church is always so much more than the building.

Everyone loves our Branch President Elder Klopfer and Sr. Klopfer, our dear Relief Society President.   As well as being delightful, spiritual people, both are very talented musicians, and to the delight of all our branch members, one or other often plays the grand piano in the Church Office Building cafeteria, to entertain folks at lunch.

Because everyone is already devoting all their time to serving in the church, there are no assigned teachers, and each week a different volunteer teaches the lesson in Priesthood, Relief Society and the three Gospel Doctrine classes.   Also, there are no assigned Visiting Teachers, and it is just expected that anyone seeing a need, will fill it.

Every second month the new senior missionary intake of about 15-20 joins our ward, and of course those that have finished, go home.   The new arrivals, and imminent departures are adorned with colourful leis and celebrated at the Branch’s bi-monthly Aloha Dinner.   President and Sister Klopfer are the most genial of hosts, and we are usually also treated to some delightful musical or other local entertainment.

At last month’s dinner we were entertained by a delightful 60’s style music group ‘The Smith Brothers’, and all had a lot of fun.   It seems the group was also entertained, because they wrote to the Branch President thanking him for the opportunity to perform, and calling us an audience “to die for”!

Picture here shows sisters preparing for our weekly Relief Society women’s meeting in the Jade Room.  

About 150 chairs are set out, and one week we still ran out of seats for all who came!   It has a rather different feel to the cosiness of such meetings in my old Ward, and people wanting to speak need a roving microphone, but the Spirit is strong.

Sr. Reber is the delightful conductor of another Branch institution, The Elijah Choir; some of whose members are pictured below.   Our recent coral pieces have included ‘Sing We Now at Parting’ and ‘There is a Green Hill Far Away’.   For Stake Conference, some joined the Stake Choir to sing ‘More Holiness Give Me’ and ‘Hymn of the Shepherd’, and for this performance I had the amazing experience of singing next to a soprano from the Tabernacle Choir!   What an education that was.

Another fun musical get-together involved members of the LDS and Baptist Churches sharing some favourite Southern Baptist music at a recent ‘fireside’ evening.   Everyone was particularly charmed by these delightful young girls, who had a great spirit for the music.