July 9, 2025 • 22 mins
Pennie Epperson was born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas, the fourth child of Milton and Vera O’Neal. Her parents were converts to the Church and were baptized two years before her birth. Shortly after, her father was called to serve as the Branch President of the Hutchinson Branch. There was a running joke among members that it was “tradition” for the wife of a newly called branch president to become pregnant soon after her husband was set apart. Vera insisted that their family was complete with three children but the Lord had other plans. Not long after Milton received his calling, Vera became pregnant once again. Pennie often says that without the gospel of Jesus Christ, she “literally” would not be here.
Growing up in a small branch in a small town, where Church members were few and far between, played a significant role in helping her build a strong foundation for her testimony. She and her younger sister were the only members of the Church in their elementary, middle, and high schools. Despite this, she was blessed with friends outside the Church who supported her and respected her standards. From an early age, she understood that her testimony was her own and that she wanted to be a wise steward of it. She met her husband, Tim, at a Stake Conference in the 13th Street building—now the Kansas Wichita Mission Home—in 1979. They were married two years later in the Salt Lake City Temple, the same temple where both of their parents had been sealed. Together, they have three children and twelve grandchildren. With their family spread across three different states, they travel often to stay connected.
Throughout their marriage, she has embraced a variety of roles: stay-at-home mom, bookstore clerk, customer relations representative, and for the past twelve years, a paraprofessional in high school, middle school, and elementary school settings.
Her hobbies include decorating, crocheting, baking, listening to podcasts, studying the scriptures, and enjoying quiet time at home whenever possible.
Her Church service has been a profound blessing in her life. She has served in numerous callings, including Primary teacher, counselor in the Primary, Relief Society 1st and 2nd Counselor, Relief Society President, Relief Society teacher, Young Women advisor, 1st and 2nd Counselor in Young Women, Young Women President, Relief Society Compassionate Service Leader, Primary Activity Day Leader, Cub Scout Leader, ministering sister, and currently, Stake Communication Director.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita, KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him. And to promote.
Unity within the Body of Christ By listening to our state
leaders share their personal stories of faith, by reflecting
on faith promoting experiences, we can strengthen our individual
faith in Jesus Christ together. Welcome to our next episode, I'm
(00:24):
here with sister Penny Epperson.She was born and raised in
Hutchinson, KS, 4th child of Milton and Vera O'Neill.
Her parents were converse to thechurch and were baptized 2 years
before her birth. Shortly after her father was
called to serve as the branch president of the Hutchinson
branch. There was a running joke among
members that it was tradition for the wife of a newly called
(00:47):
branch president to become pregnant soon after her husband
was set apart. Vera insisted that their family
was complete with three children, but the Lord had other
plans. Not long after Milton received
his calling, Vera became pregnant once again.
Penny often says that without the gospel of Jesus Christ, she
literally would not be here. Growing up in a small branch in
(01:10):
a small town where church members were few and far between
played a significant role in helping her build a strong
foundation for her testimony. She and her younger sister were
the only members of the church in their elementary, middle and
high schools. Despite this, she was blessed
with friends outside the church who supported her and respected
her standards from an early age.She understood that her
(01:33):
testimony was her own and that she wanted to be a wise steward
of it. She met her husband, Tim, at a
state conference in the 13th St.building, now the which the
Kansas Wichita Mission Home, in 1979.
They are married two years laterin the Salt Lake City Temple,
the same temple where both of their parents have been sealed
together. They have three children and 12
(01:55):
grandchildren. With their family spread across
three different states. They travel often to stay
connected. Throughout their marriage, she
has embraced a variety of roles,stay at home mom, bookstore
clerk, customer relations representative and for the past
12 years, a paraprofessional in high school, middle school and
elementary school settings. Her hobbies include decorating,
(02:19):
crocheting, baking, listening topodcasts, studying the
scriptures, and enjoying quiet time at home whenever possible.
Her church service has been a profound blessing in her life.
She has served and numerous colleagues including primary
teacher counsel in the Primary Relief Society 1st and 2nd
counselor, Relief Society president, Relief Society
(02:42):
teacher, Young Women advisor, 1st and 2nd Counselor and Young
Women, the Young Women president, Relief Society
compassionate service leader, primary activity Day leader, Cub
Scout leader, ministering sisterand currently state
communication director. Welcome, Penny.
Thank you. Excited to talk with you today.
(03:06):
Let's let's start with your early childhood.
Of all the things that you learned from your parents, what
do you feel is the most important?
So I guess it's not just your childhood, but anytime.
OK, I felt like my parents really taught me about, I'd say
obedience, perseverance and ministering.
(03:29):
And the reason that I say that is is that my mom, she found the
church 1st and she talked to themissionaries off and on for
about 5 years. She was waiting for my dad to be
baptized with her. And my dad had no interest in
doing it, but he after five years, he did start to he did,
(03:52):
he changed his mind. And so the night that they were
baptized, my dad said that he did not have a testimony, but he
directly afterwards accepted callings, paid tithing was a
home teacher. And he said he did it because
that's what he signed up for when he was baptized.
(04:14):
And so it wasn't until the next,the next year, he was able to
baptize my oldest sister. And my dad said that when my
sister walked down into the water, that's when he received
his testimony. And that's just always been
(04:35):
quite a lesson to me that when you say you're going to do
something, you do it and that there's great rewards that come
when you act in faith. And they both were great
examples to me of ministering. We, we always had people over
(04:58):
for dinner on Sunday. My dad was the branch president
three different times. And quite often he would call my
mom from church and say, we've got two more people coming to
dinner today. And so she put another potato in
the pot. But at the time, I didn't know
(05:21):
what that would be like to have your husband call and say, oh,
guess what, Two more people are coming to dinner.
And I would not have taken it asnicely as my mother, but she was
always just like, OK. And we just set another, you
know, played at the table. And it really taught me to to
welcome all, you know, to that. We were just to be very
(05:45):
welcoming and I'm just happy to have people in and, and help me
to feel better or to, to reach out a little bit more, you know,
in my in my circle at church andmaybe at school, to include
people. So that was a a really important
lesson I felt that I learned from now.
Great, great lessons I learned from your parents and not just
(06:08):
from a lecture, right? They they lived it.
Yes, Live it. They probably didn't even think
they were teaching you no. I'm sure they.
Didn't just the way they live their lives.
Yes, yes. Thank you for sharing that.
Yeah. So what faith promoting,
personal experience would you want to send 100 years into the
(06:28):
future for your posterity to hear?
This is a story that I've told several times over the years to
maybe different young women or just sometimes my friends.
And that was several years ago. I was going through a really
rough period in my life and just, I think I was dealing with
depression. We just didn't call it that
(06:50):
then. And so I had been to a meeting
for General Conference that was just for the young women on
Saturday night. And every single speaker got up
and, and they all said basicallythe same thing and have the same
message. And that was God loves you.
And if you don't know what he does love you, then you need to
ask Him. And they all said, if you ask
(07:12):
him, you are going to feel it. He's just going to wrap his arms
around you and you're going to feel so warm and you're going to
know that He loves you. And so I came home and I sat out
in the driveway and I sat out there for about 45 minutes and I
prayed the whole time. And I told Heavenly Father, this
(07:34):
is what they said. And now I'm going to put you to
the test and, and I just need toknow, do you love me?
And I sat there for 45 minutes and I didn't get anything.
And I was like, OK, so I came inside, I got ready for bed,
(07:56):
said my prayers again, went to bed, got up, went to church the
next day, did all the things that I would normally do.
You know, it didn't, it didn't change anything in my in my
habits or my feelings or anything.
And I don't think I even really thought about it too much after
that. But at the time, I was working
(08:18):
at a place where I was a customer service representative.
And at this particular company, if anybody called customer
service, it was not to say this product is so great.
Thank you so much. It was never that.
And so you just, unfortunately, you talk to angry people just,
you know, all day. And so this particular day, I
(08:39):
talked to this older gentleman and we were always supposed to
stay on the phone for two minutes.
They would time us, but he just wanted to talk.
And he just was just telling me things about his family and so
on and so on. And so he probably talked to me
for about 10 minutes. And at the end of our
conversation, he said, hey, so are you available this time
(09:03):
tomorrow? And I just laughed and told him
no, that, you know, the, the calls, they just go to different
people. And, and so he thanked me for
for listening to him. And it wasn't too much later
that I was talking to another woman, this time an older woman.
And I was able to help her find her package or got something
(09:24):
sent to her. I don't even know what it was.
But at the end she asked me for my name again.
And I told her and she said, well, Penny, you are an Angel on
earth. And I was like, again, that's
not anything that you ever hear.And I got off the phone and I
just sat there and I just kind of looked down into space and I
(09:45):
was like, why is everybody so nice today?
This is this is great. But this does not happen.
And as soon as I asked that question, then immediately I had
the feeling, this is Heavenly Father telling you that you're
loved. And I was just so thankful that
(10:07):
he didn't tell me that night in the car.
And I was thankful that my testimony was strong enough to
know that he just didn't tell metonight or, you know, whatever
it was. But they just tell me to realize
that things don't come on our time.
And people can tell you wonderful stories.
(10:29):
And, you know, that could be their story.
But if it's not yours, it doesn't mean that he doesn't.
But I, I and I don't know if I would have remembered that story
so clearly all these years if ithadn't been for the way that it
happened and that I didn't, you know, get my answer till two
months later. But yeah, so that's that's what
I think I would want people to know is again of the obedience
(10:54):
and the perseverance and and blessings do come.
So that's what I would say. Wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that. What are What are your current
priorities? I make it a priority every day.
(11:16):
I'm nearly every day. There are some days that I might
miss, but I try very hard to read my scriptures every day.
In 2018, President Monson talkedto us about reading our
scriptures, and that was the last time reading the Book of
Mormon, and that was the last time that we heard from him.
(11:39):
And when I heard him say that you need to read from the Book
of Mormon every day, for some reason this time it just hit me
differently. And so I began that day.
And some days I read one verse on my phone before I fell
asleep. Another day I might read a
(12:01):
chapter, but I would try to at least read one verse.
And for the longest time, it wasjust checking something off the
list. And and maybe it maybe it was
that way for for a year. I'm not, I'm not sure it was a
long time, but when we started Come Follow Me and we were
(12:25):
reading the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, then all of a
sudden I was just like, well, I don't want to stop reading the
Book of Mormon, but I've got to read the New Testament because I
want to be off of my Come FollowMe.
And I started getting up a little bit earlier so that I
would have time to read from both.
(12:47):
And that has just been a game changer for me.
I, it's, I really, I look forward to that time.
I take lots of notes. I listen to podcasts about the
different things that we're studying.
(13:08):
It's, it's just brings so many other things into focus.
And I have had a few things currently that have brought me
closer to Christ. And one of the things that I've
noticed is that lately I feel like, I feel like the Lord
prompts me a lot more than maybehe has in the past.
(13:29):
And there's been a few times when I've just noticed that Oh
yeah, that was specifically because this morning I was told
to make cookies today. And it turns out that this is
just what this person was, you know, needing or, or there was
one day there was AI was on my way to school and I thought you
should pick up a snack for Kylertoday.
(13:50):
And so I, I stopped at quick shop and I found some Doritos or
something. And I didn't really think too
much of it. And then this little boy Kyler
came up to me as soon as the bell rang and they were entering
the school and he came up and hesaid, I have to have something
to eat. Can you get me a snack?
(14:11):
And I knew that I'd been, I knewthen that I'd been prompted.
And so now I wonder if if the Lord is prompting me more or if
he's always prompt to be. But I'm just now starting to act
on it more. And so I feel like I've
recognized a few things where inthe beginning I, you know, I'm
(14:32):
not really sure. And, and sometimes even now I'll
think, OK, well, that sounded like a good idea.
So was it mine? Was it heavenly fathers?
Is it a good idea? I'm just going to do it and
we'll just see where it goes from there.
But I feel like those things, I feel like those things have come
because of the blessings of reading the scriptures, but
(14:53):
particularly reading the Book ofMormon every day.
And so that's something that is just really a a priority to me.
Now. Something else I guess is a real
priority is that in Our Calling us estate communication
directors, our area authority, Elder Ames asked if we could go
(15:15):
around and visit different women's shelters and see what
goes on in there and what their needs are.
And I've been to, I've made six visits so far.
And each time I almost feel likeI've had a spiritual experience.
The, the people there that are the staff, they just truly wants
(15:36):
what, what's best for best for other people.
And I don't know, it's really just got me interested in, in
ways to be able to help women and children.
So that's something. And, and I might just piggyback
because I don't want my mom to be upset with me.
We're not telling this story. Something else that my parents
(15:58):
taught me when I talked about ministering my mom, we have this
funny story about her. She was in all these one day.
This was maybe 10 years ago, well, maybe 15 years ago, but
she would have been probably in our late 70s, early 80s.
And they were having a sale, I guess on their potatoes and it
(16:20):
was 1 LB. I think maybe it was 1 LB bag of
tomato potatoes or maybe they were bigger.
But it was such a good buy. And my mom ended up buying 100
bags because she said everybody needs potatoes at some point.
(16:42):
And so my sister was there visiting and Lori said, I went
up to people's house and just belike, hello, my mom, Vera
O'neil's in the car and she wants you to have these
potatoes. And people were just very
thankful. But she fully looked out for
(17:04):
other people. My other story and I, I probably
don't have the numbers right, but Wilma Bauer in Hutchinson,
she and my mother were visiting teaching companions for a long
time and they went to the early society president and said we
want to have a list of all the people that are hard to get in
(17:26):
to visit. And it was a lot of people that
lived in outlying areas. And at one point they had 37
sisters that they were visiting and they would take a week and
spend about 6 or 7 hours a day driving to the different sisters
to see them. And so, you know, and that was
(17:48):
when it was still visiting teaching, but that was really
living the higher call of ministering that that we know
now. And so I was blessed to have
parents that embrace the gospel and live the gospel.
And I just sat back and watched them.
(18:09):
But I was very blessed so. I believe the first part of
that, but I don't believe you sat back and watched them.
You are a doer. Oh well, thank you.
Thank you. I tried follow their example
I've. Really enjoyed our visit here
today. Will you end our visit with your
(18:30):
your testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored church?
Yes. I have a very strong testimony
of, of Jesus Christ. That's where my testimony came
first was Jesus Christ. And over the years my testimony
(18:50):
has has deepened over the restoration of the church as
I've learned more about it and the people have become more real
and more human. And I understand that they
weren't any more perfect in 1830than we are right now in 2025.
(19:11):
But I know that the Lord knew that too about these people and
that he believed in them. And, and it just, it makes me, I
just think about them and that the load that they were carrying
(19:32):
and what, what did it feel like when they're writing this is
going to be known to all nations.
You know, you're sitting in thislittle tiny town of 300 people
and they're saying they'll know in all the nations.
I know the gospel to be true. I, I feel it through and
through. I'm very thankful that it's
(19:54):
always been a part of my life. I'm I'm very grateful for that.
I don't take that for granted. And and I know that the Lord is
aware of all of us and he's aware of all of our concerns and
(20:14):
our worries and that he loves our family members for them.
We can imagine, and I know that that things.
That the Lord never gives up on them, so I won't either.
I I know after having gone through tough times in my 65
(20:41):
years, I know that I would neverwant to go through those tough
times without Him beside me. And I also know that no trial
lasts forever. And so I remember that and, and
I, I feel such peace and comforteven with chaos going on around
(21:06):
me. And I, I know these things to be
true. I, I know the Spirit, the
scriptures are written for us, for our day.
I know that I can go to the scriptures and I can be
concerned about something and later in the day something just
comes to me and I believe it wasbecause I talked to the Lord
(21:29):
that day. One of my favorite quotations is
I think it Elder Hales was the one that said it and he said if
you want to talk to God, pray, if you want God to talk to you,
read your scriptures. And I have a huge testimony of
that. And I say these things in Jesus
Christ name, Amen. I hope.
(21:56):
That this episode of the Wichita, KS Stick Podcast helped
bring you closer to Christ. I invite you to take some time
today to write about or record one of your own faith promoting
experiences.
Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita, KS State Podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Kitchen, a state history specialist.
This podcast is intended to helpbring followers of Christ closer
to him. And to promote.
Unity within the Body of Christ By listening to our state
leaders share their personal stories of faith, by reflecting
on faith promoting experiences, we can strengthen our individual
faith in Jesus Christ together. Welcome to our next episode, I'm
(00:24):
here with sister Penny Epperson.She was born and raised in
Hutchinson, KS, 4th child of Milton and Vera O'Neill.
Her parents were converse to thechurch and were baptized 2 years
before her birth. Shortly after her father was
called to serve as the branch president of the Hutchinson
branch. There was a running joke among
members that it was tradition for the wife of a newly called
(00:47):
branch president to become pregnant soon after her husband
was set apart. Vera insisted that their family
was complete with three children, but the Lord had other
plans. Not long after Milton received
his calling, Vera became pregnant once again.
Penny often says that without the gospel of Jesus Christ, she
literally would not be here. Growing up in a small branch in
(01:10):
a small town where church members were few and far between
played a significant role in helping her build a strong
foundation for her testimony. She and her younger sister were
the only members of the church in their elementary, middle and
high schools. Despite this, she was blessed
with friends outside the church who supported her and respected
her standards from an early age.She understood that her
(01:33):
testimony was her own and that she wanted to be a wise steward
of it. She met her husband, Tim, at a
state conference in the 13th St.building, now the which the
Kansas Wichita Mission Home, in 1979.
They are married two years laterin the Salt Lake City Temple,
the same temple where both of their parents have been sealed
together. They have three children and 12
(01:55):
grandchildren. With their family spread across
three different states. They travel often to stay
connected. Throughout their marriage, she
has embraced a variety of roles,stay at home mom, bookstore
clerk, customer relations representative and for the past
12 years, a paraprofessional in high school, middle school and
elementary school settings. Her hobbies include decorating,
(02:19):
crocheting, baking, listening topodcasts, studying the
scriptures, and enjoying quiet time at home whenever possible.
Her church service has been a profound blessing in her life.
She has served and numerous colleagues including primary
teacher counsel in the Primary Relief Society 1st and 2nd
counselor, Relief Society president, Relief Society
(02:42):
teacher, Young Women advisor, 1st and 2nd Counselor and Young
Women, the Young Women president, Relief Society
compassionate service leader, primary activity Day leader, Cub
Scout leader, ministering sisterand currently state
communication director. Welcome, Penny.
Thank you. Excited to talk with you today.
(03:06):
Let's let's start with your early childhood.
Of all the things that you learned from your parents, what
do you feel is the most important?
So I guess it's not just your childhood, but anytime.
OK, I felt like my parents really taught me about, I'd say
obedience, perseverance and ministering.
(03:29):
And the reason that I say that is is that my mom, she found the
church 1st and she talked to themissionaries off and on for
about 5 years. She was waiting for my dad to be
baptized with her. And my dad had no interest in
doing it, but he after five years, he did start to he did,
(03:52):
he changed his mind. And so the night that they were
baptized, my dad said that he did not have a testimony, but he
directly afterwards accepted callings, paid tithing was a
home teacher. And he said he did it because
that's what he signed up for when he was baptized.
(04:14):
And so it wasn't until the next,the next year, he was able to
baptize my oldest sister. And my dad said that when my
sister walked down into the water, that's when he received
his testimony. And that's just always been
(04:35):
quite a lesson to me that when you say you're going to do
something, you do it and that there's great rewards that come
when you act in faith. And they both were great
examples to me of ministering. We, we always had people over
(04:58):
for dinner on Sunday. My dad was the branch president
three different times. And quite often he would call my
mom from church and say, we've got two more people coming to
dinner today. And so she put another potato in
the pot. But at the time, I didn't know
(05:21):
what that would be like to have your husband call and say, oh,
guess what, Two more people are coming to dinner.
And I would not have taken it asnicely as my mother, but she was
always just like, OK. And we just set another, you
know, played at the table. And it really taught me to to
welcome all, you know, to that. We were just to be very
(05:45):
welcoming and I'm just happy to have people in and, and help me
to feel better or to, to reach out a little bit more, you know,
in my in my circle at church andmaybe at school, to include
people. So that was a a really important
lesson I felt that I learned from now.
Great, great lessons I learned from your parents and not just
(06:08):
from a lecture, right? They they lived it.
Yes, Live it. They probably didn't even think
they were teaching you no. I'm sure they.
Didn't just the way they live their lives.
Yes, yes. Thank you for sharing that.
Yeah. So what faith promoting,
personal experience would you want to send 100 years into the
(06:28):
future for your posterity to hear?
This is a story that I've told several times over the years to
maybe different young women or just sometimes my friends.
And that was several years ago. I was going through a really
rough period in my life and just, I think I was dealing with
depression. We just didn't call it that
(06:50):
then. And so I had been to a meeting
for General Conference that was just for the young women on
Saturday night. And every single speaker got up
and, and they all said basicallythe same thing and have the same
message. And that was God loves you.
And if you don't know what he does love you, then you need to
ask Him. And they all said, if you ask
(07:12):
him, you are going to feel it. He's just going to wrap his arms
around you and you're going to feel so warm and you're going to
know that He loves you. And so I came home and I sat out
in the driveway and I sat out there for about 45 minutes and I
prayed the whole time. And I told Heavenly Father, this
(07:34):
is what they said. And now I'm going to put you to
the test and, and I just need toknow, do you love me?
And I sat there for 45 minutes and I didn't get anything.
And I was like, OK, so I came inside, I got ready for bed,
(07:56):
said my prayers again, went to bed, got up, went to church the
next day, did all the things that I would normally do.
You know, it didn't, it didn't change anything in my in my
habits or my feelings or anything.
And I don't think I even really thought about it too much after
that. But at the time, I was working
(08:18):
at a place where I was a customer service representative.
And at this particular company, if anybody called customer
service, it was not to say this product is so great.
Thank you so much. It was never that.
And so you just, unfortunately, you talk to angry people just,
you know, all day. And so this particular day, I
(08:39):
talked to this older gentleman and we were always supposed to
stay on the phone for two minutes.
They would time us, but he just wanted to talk.
And he just was just telling me things about his family and so
on and so on. And so he probably talked to me
for about 10 minutes. And at the end of our
conversation, he said, hey, so are you available this time
(09:03):
tomorrow? And I just laughed and told him
no, that, you know, the, the calls, they just go to different
people. And, and so he thanked me for
for listening to him. And it wasn't too much later
that I was talking to another woman, this time an older woman.
And I was able to help her find her package or got something
(09:24):
sent to her. I don't even know what it was.
But at the end she asked me for my name again.
And I told her and she said, well, Penny, you are an Angel on
earth. And I was like, again, that's
not anything that you ever hear.And I got off the phone and I
just sat there and I just kind of looked down into space and I
(09:45):
was like, why is everybody so nice today?
This is this is great. But this does not happen.
And as soon as I asked that question, then immediately I had
the feeling, this is Heavenly Father telling you that you're
loved. And I was just so thankful that
(10:07):
he didn't tell me that night in the car.
And I was thankful that my testimony was strong enough to
know that he just didn't tell metonight or, you know, whatever
it was. But they just tell me to realize
that things don't come on our time.
And people can tell you wonderful stories.
(10:29):
And, you know, that could be their story.
But if it's not yours, it doesn't mean that he doesn't.
But I, I and I don't know if I would have remembered that story
so clearly all these years if ithadn't been for the way that it
happened and that I didn't, you know, get my answer till two
months later. But yeah, so that's that's what
I think I would want people to know is again of the obedience
(10:54):
and the perseverance and and blessings do come.
So that's what I would say. Wonderful.
Thank you for sharing that. What are What are your current
priorities? I make it a priority every day.
(11:16):
I'm nearly every day. There are some days that I might
miss, but I try very hard to read my scriptures every day.
In 2018, President Monson talkedto us about reading our
scriptures, and that was the last time reading the Book of
Mormon, and that was the last time that we heard from him.
(11:39):
And when I heard him say that you need to read from the Book
of Mormon every day, for some reason this time it just hit me
differently. And so I began that day.
And some days I read one verse on my phone before I fell
asleep. Another day I might read a
(12:01):
chapter, but I would try to at least read one verse.
And for the longest time, it wasjust checking something off the
list. And and maybe it maybe it was
that way for for a year. I'm not, I'm not sure it was a
long time, but when we started Come Follow Me and we were
(12:25):
reading the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, then all of a
sudden I was just like, well, I don't want to stop reading the
Book of Mormon, but I've got to read the New Testament because I
want to be off of my Come FollowMe.
And I started getting up a little bit earlier so that I
would have time to read from both.
(12:47):
And that has just been a game changer for me.
I, it's, I really, I look forward to that time.
I take lots of notes. I listen to podcasts about the
different things that we're studying.
(13:08):
It's, it's just brings so many other things into focus.
And I have had a few things currently that have brought me
closer to Christ. And one of the things that I've
noticed is that lately I feel like, I feel like the Lord
prompts me a lot more than maybehe has in the past.
(13:29):
And there's been a few times when I've just noticed that Oh
yeah, that was specifically because this morning I was told
to make cookies today. And it turns out that this is
just what this person was, you know, needing or, or there was
one day there was AI was on my way to school and I thought you
should pick up a snack for Kylertoday.
(13:50):
And so I, I stopped at quick shop and I found some Doritos or
something. And I didn't really think too
much of it. And then this little boy Kyler
came up to me as soon as the bell rang and they were entering
the school and he came up and hesaid, I have to have something
to eat. Can you get me a snack?
(14:11):
And I knew that I'd been, I knewthen that I'd been prompted.
And so now I wonder if if the Lord is prompting me more or if
he's always prompt to be. But I'm just now starting to act
on it more. And so I feel like I've
recognized a few things where inthe beginning I, you know, I'm
(14:32):
not really sure. And, and sometimes even now I'll
think, OK, well, that sounded like a good idea.
So was it mine? Was it heavenly fathers?
Is it a good idea? I'm just going to do it and
we'll just see where it goes from there.
But I feel like those things, I feel like those things have come
because of the blessings of reading the scriptures, but
(14:53):
particularly reading the Book ofMormon every day.
And so that's something that is just really a a priority to me.
Now. Something else I guess is a real
priority is that in Our Calling us estate communication
directors, our area authority, Elder Ames asked if we could go
(15:15):
around and visit different women's shelters and see what
goes on in there and what their needs are.
And I've been to, I've made six visits so far.
And each time I almost feel likeI've had a spiritual experience.
The, the people there that are the staff, they just truly wants
(15:36):
what, what's best for best for other people.
And I don't know, it's really just got me interested in, in
ways to be able to help women and children.
So that's something. And, and I might just piggyback
because I don't want my mom to be upset with me.
We're not telling this story. Something else that my parents
(15:58):
taught me when I talked about ministering my mom, we have this
funny story about her. She was in all these one day.
This was maybe 10 years ago, well, maybe 15 years ago, but
she would have been probably in our late 70s, early 80s.
And they were having a sale, I guess on their potatoes and it
(16:20):
was 1 LB. I think maybe it was 1 LB bag of
tomato potatoes or maybe they were bigger.
But it was such a good buy. And my mom ended up buying 100
bags because she said everybody needs potatoes at some point.
(16:42):
And so my sister was there visiting and Lori said, I went
up to people's house and just belike, hello, my mom, Vera
O'neil's in the car and she wants you to have these
potatoes. And people were just very
thankful. But she fully looked out for
(17:04):
other people. My other story and I, I probably
don't have the numbers right, but Wilma Bauer in Hutchinson,
she and my mother were visiting teaching companions for a long
time and they went to the early society president and said we
want to have a list of all the people that are hard to get in
(17:26):
to visit. And it was a lot of people that
lived in outlying areas. And at one point they had 37
sisters that they were visiting and they would take a week and
spend about 6 or 7 hours a day driving to the different sisters
to see them. And so, you know, and that was
(17:48):
when it was still visiting teaching, but that was really
living the higher call of ministering that that we know
now. And so I was blessed to have
parents that embrace the gospel and live the gospel.
And I just sat back and watched them.
(18:09):
But I was very blessed so. I believe the first part of
that, but I don't believe you sat back and watched them.
You are a doer. Oh well, thank you.
Thank you. I tried follow their example
I've. Really enjoyed our visit here
today. Will you end our visit with your
(18:30):
your testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored church?
Yes. I have a very strong testimony
of, of Jesus Christ. That's where my testimony came
first was Jesus Christ. And over the years my testimony
(18:50):
has has deepened over the restoration of the church as
I've learned more about it and the people have become more real
and more human. And I understand that they
weren't any more perfect in 1830than we are right now in 2025.
(19:11):
But I know that the Lord knew that too about these people and
that he believed in them. And, and it just, it makes me, I
just think about them and that the load that they were carrying
(19:32):
and what, what did it feel like when they're writing this is
going to be known to all nations.
You know, you're sitting in thislittle tiny town of 300 people
and they're saying they'll know in all the nations.
I know the gospel to be true. I, I feel it through and
through. I'm very thankful that it's
(19:54):
always been a part of my life. I'm I'm very grateful for that.
I don't take that for granted. And and I know that the Lord is
aware of all of us and he's aware of all of our concerns and
(20:14):
our worries and that he loves our family members for them.
We can imagine, and I know that that things.
That the Lord never gives up on them, so I won't either.
I I know after having gone through tough times in my 65
(20:41):
years, I know that I would neverwant to go through those tough
times without Him beside me. And I also know that no trial
lasts forever. And so I remember that and, and
I, I feel such peace and comforteven with chaos going on around
(21:06):
me. And I, I know these things to be
true. I, I know the Spirit, the
scriptures are written for us, for our day.
I know that I can go to the scriptures and I can be
concerned about something and later in the day something just
comes to me and I believe it wasbecause I talked to the Lord
(21:29):
that day. One of my favorite quotations is
I think it Elder Hales was the one that said it and he said if
you want to talk to God, pray, if you want God to talk to you,
read your scriptures. And I have a huge testimony of
that. And I say these things in Jesus
Christ name, Amen. I hope.
(21:56):
That this episode of the Wichita, KS Stick Podcast helped
bring you closer to Christ. I invite you to take some time
today to write about or record one of your own faith promoting
experiences.
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