He stands at the podium for his first address as bishop. There are about 150 people present who occupy about two-thirds of the chapel.
“Brothers and sisters, the Lord has given me a clear vision. I can see this chapel full. No, not just this section of the chapel. Not just the first or second overflows. All the way to the back of the cultural hall to the font. Every chair used, every chair taken.
“How are we going to do this? How will we receive this blessing? We are going to focus on two things: sending our youth on missions and sharing the Gospel in our community.”
He never sees a day like that as bishop. Instead, a year later, the first and third wards are combined with two towns moved to another ward. A year later, the Cape Verdean people are removed from his ward and the Brockton Branch is born. Eighteen months after that, two towns from the ward are taken away and joined with two others to make the Plymouth branch. Three years later, he will visit the Brockton branch as a high councilor to give a talk. They fill the chapel and the two overflows. He knows that if you added them to his original ward they would fill the cultural hall.
The Living and the Dead, by Gordon Laws 