I’ve thought of telling you a little bit about the calling of the patriarch and also the calling of the bishops and the branch presidents throughout this year (1996). These names have been made known to me by the Spirit long before they were sustained. I’ve confirmed those changes and who with the Spirit. I’ve sat in the meeting knowing not when, so much, but that we would have a new bishop. That La Crosse would have a new bishop, that First Ward would have a new bishop, [and that there would be] a new branch president in Winona and Sparta and so forth. And I have, after confirming what I’d felt with the Spirit, gone through with those calls. Now we all know that President Robb has the spirit of a patriarch. What a great blessing it is now to have him to be able to give our children in the stake patriarchal blessings. I’m thankful also for President Parry, for the patriarchal blessing he has given to my daughter Susan. What a great patriarchal blessing it was. When patriarchs are called and the bishops are called, we turn these names in from the stake to the First Presidency. In the case of the patriarchs, to the Quorum of the Twelve. And they are confirmed in the Spirit. I’ve got a letter sitting in my briefcase giving me permission and telling me exactly how I’m to go about calling President Robb to this responsibility and how I am to ordain him as Patriarch after this meeting. This church is led by our Father in Heaven and by His Apostles.
