Bert Bair

Ty Dougal interviews Bert Bair to discuss Bert's conversion, family history stories, and advice for younger generations. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Well, hello everyone. Welcome to the Highlands Orange Ward Podcast. Thanks for taking the time to tune and listen. This is Tyler. I'll be hosting today, and today I'm going to be interviewing Bert Bear. So Bert Bear is a great member of our ward, and thanks for joining us today for this podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Yeah, happy to. Thanks. Thanks for uh spearheading it.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

So to start, we kind of like to get to know the person we're interviewing. So we'll start to what if you have had a day off, maybe, and you just have nothing in your schedule, what's some things you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Oh man. I love being outside. So I'd I'd say probably uh maybe like going for a hike with uh with my wife and then going out to lunch. Uh that's probably something I would do. I like to ride bikes, so I'd I'd if my wife wasn't available on my day off, I would probably go for a bike ride. Um I don't know, ideally maybe go do a uh uh like some initiatories of the temple. Um but yeah, but like you said, a lot a lot of it has to do with just trying to be outside and get some fresh air. That's that would be uh definitely a focus of it.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah, I mean I was gonna wait to ask some spiritual questions, but you brought up a great point there about the temple. So how has gone going to the temple, maybe frequently or however often you go, has just helped you um in your daily life, you think?

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Um, you know, I feel that it definitely connects me with with Christ more. I think I appreciate his atonement more uh when I go more frequently. Um I I also feel like I don't know, I'm just a a kinder person when I when I come out. I want to be a better person. Um and then you know, I I just feel fortunate that uh and blessed that I was uh have the gospel in my life and and ideally I'd like to have everybody have that opportunity. So being able to do the work, you know, work for people that have passed on also is satisfying.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Yeah, that's great. Um, so if you wind it back a little bit, how did maybe you personally convert to the gospel?

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Um, you know, I was uh I was 16 years old and um honestly had not thought that deeply about the gospel or felt like I was really converted. Um there was a summer where I hadn't intended on having any spiritual experience necessarily, but kind of at the last minute when my family was going to Utah, um a friend of mine said, Hey, I think EFY just had a couple of spots open up. Do you want to go? And um and it was when my family was going to be in Utah anyway, so I thought, well, why not? You know, there it it sounds like it'll be fun. There's uh I think I've heard there's a lot of cute girls that go. I said, you know, might as well uh spend that week there instead of just all with with um you know with my parents and and everything. So anyway, I ended up going. Um, and after it was probably just half a day in that I really felt between the speakers and the music and some really thought-provoking things about um the joy that the gospel can bring in your life, that I really did start to think about it for the first time. And as the week went on, um, I just I really felt a connection to Christ that I hadn't before. Um, I felt like I my heart was open to to him for the first time. And um and that and I I recall coming back and having some structure, some struggles, and challenges after EFY. But um the music in particular really, really impacted me, music about Christ. So I they they gave us a cassette tape of all the EFY songs from that week. And I remember um you know, weeks after coming home and kind of being a little discouraged that I didn't feel as as close to Christ as I wanted, that I I you know sat in my room and listened to EFY music on that cassette tape, and it really kind of reconnected me with him. And and so I I think I I really was converted to the gospel and to Christ, um, thankfully, through a program that the church puts on. And and you know, certainly um I think it shows the power that those FSY camps have now for youth as they you know go certainly wanting to have fun, but also really having their heart open to um to the spirit that that Christ would send to them that week.

SPEAKER_00 5:06

That's a great point with listening to music, just to bring yourself closer, because I I know with me, sometimes I'll go to those camps and I'll have a great time and feel super spiritual and close to God, and then you can almost forget it in a week or a couple months, and then just kind of veer off the path again. And so sometimes you it takes things to remember those great times you had and bring you closer to the gospel. Yeah. Um, well, not trying to put you on the spot, but if you have one, what is your favorite family history story?

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Uh, I guess maybe this isn't what came to mind isn't so much um a story, but just more experiences uh with one of my grandpa that um, you know, growing up, uh we went to visit him every summer. He was in Utah and I lived in Washington State. So we made the drive to Utah, and they lived in kind of a small um farming community, and he worked really hard. Um and I just I recall being um just really impressed with how kind he was. He even with all the work he had to do on his farm, he would stop and spend time with me and my sisters. And um he always had candy in the pocket of his he always wear wore like overalls, you know, work overalls that had the like the hammer loop on him, and he actually did have a hammer in it. Um he uh he kept candy in those and would give us candy and would make little wood boats for us to float in the in the irrigation ditch outside of the house. Uh he'd drive us up in the back of his truck to this beautiful canyon and we'd roast hot dogs and talk. And uh he he wasn't speaking of talking, he wasn't the most talkative, gregarious person, but he was just very kind. Um, and and you know, when he looked you in the eye, you could just tell that he really loved you. And and so I um my my middle name is uh is you know his is his last name. And then we we also named Grant, my son, his middle name after him as well, just to kind of try to carry on the heritage and and you know, talk about um about how we we are who we are a lot in part due to our ancestors. So I guess not so much a story, but just the like so the experience of growing up and remembering the kindness of my grandpa and and me being wanting to be that kind of grandpa someday when I have grandkids.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

That's an amazing story. Can you think of any other times when role models just helped you maybe make decisions or just strive to be a specific type of person?

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Yeah, I've uh that's a great question. I um in addition to my grandpa, I mean, I've had uh a priest quorum advisor who was really, really kind. I remember uh a friend who was a member of my ward growing up who um, you know, there were there was a time where I thought, oh, I I want to go off and join this, you know, popular group of kids. And when I found that there wasn't really happiness in that, my my friend who was a member of my ward um had just kind of had open arms and you know invited me back and wasn't mad that I'd kind of strayed away for a while. So he he was definitely, you know, a kid my own age was definitely a role model, um, just in in um in showing me, you know, kind of Christ-like kindness too.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

That's good. Um, do you have a favorite scripture you could think of? Or maybe just a scripture story. It doesn't have to be specific.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Um, you know, with with kind of entering, um well, hopefully we're already in this mindset. I I'm trying to be, although it's easy, it's easy to forget. We've been encouraged to really make Easter um a season, an important season, not just a day, kind of like Christmas is. And so uh the scripture that came to mind that I think just the words are so powerful um is in Luke 24, when um when Mary and the other women came to to the tomb to um help you know finish preparing Jesus' body, and they saw the stone rolled away, and they saw um it says two men in shining garments, and and it says the women were afraid, and they bowed their faces to the earth. Uh, and they said, But the the angels said to the women, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. And um to me, that is to those words are just so powerful that um you know Jesus is not dead, that he's living, um, that he is risen, and that um as a result of his gift, that all of us will have that gift of of immortality, and and um that through his grace we can also be forgiven. And and so that um, like said, it both at Easter time and throughout the year, I just those words bring such hope um you know through his uh through his sacrifice.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

That's great. Do you feel like there's been times in your life when you've seen God perform miracles or just help you out with things?

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Yeah, absolutely. I think I think like most people, there have been times of discouragement where things haven't, you know, I I've had certain expectations and things haven't gone the way that I've wanted them to. Um, I think there have been um, you know, physical and and emotional and and sometimes spiritual challenges. And um, I just feel like God's love is constant. And if I uh ask for for his help and um and try to rely, I I love I like the scripture also that says, you know, trust in the Lord with with all thy heart and lean not to thy own understanding. And I I feel like um, you know, if I if I'm show humility and a willingness to to say, hey, okay, things didn't turn out the way I I wanted them to, but I I trust that I I learned something from this and that I I can be stronger and better as a result of your help. Uh, there have just been you know experiences that um have given me reassurance that he's there.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Yeah, that's great. Um what's what's uh maybe a more recent time where you felt the spirit?

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Well, um thinking very recently, I um I really felt and as I looked out, I I have the kind of opportunity by being the bishopric, by being up on the stand and kind of I get to look out and see people's reaction during sacrament meeting. Um both just last week in sacrament meeting, both in uh in singing our sacrament hymn and feeling um the love of Christ as I partook of the sacrament, and then during the talks uh to look out and see how I not only how I felt, but how other people were feeling. You know, when Sister Chipman um was talking about the uh the woman in our stake that that she really didn't even know who came and and delivered a meal kind of right when it was needed, um, was a reassurance for Sister Chipman of that God was aware of her. Um, I really felt the spirit strongly, and I really felt like, hey, if you know, Bert, if you if you ask me, God, this is God's words, like to me, if you ask me, I can um have you help people just in the way that sister did to help Sister Chipman, I I really felt close to God and that you know he uh he really does love us. He loves um he loves everyone and and wants us to help one another. So I I felt the spirit then and and um just I don't know, as the week went on, I for some reason the quote from President Nelson kept coming in my mind, and I listened to his talk about this, where he said that the joy that we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives. And and just as I thought about those words and as I listened to the talk, also really felt the spirit in my life that um I don't know what what the future holds for me and for my family necessarily. I know there's going to be some challenges and hard times, and um and that I I do want to feel joy. Um, you know, President Nelson pointed out that that Lehi, who had a lot of hard things in his life, he had to leave his home and live in the wilderness and not know where food was coming from. And as he had sons who rebelled against him. And in the middle of all that rebellion and hard times, that's when he said that we are to have joy. So as as I think about joy, it it really does come when we focus our lives on serving others and as we focus our lives on Christ. And so um just those are some recent thoughts that that have helped me feel close to God.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Speaking about our ward, what's something you love most about it?

SPEAKER_01 14:35

You know, I I really think that uh, you know, and I feel privileged to get to work with our youth. I think they have a lot of enthusiasm. Um and and you know, they I think there's a strong desire among the youth to to want to serve missions and and to um you know to be close to God and and to have a relationship with Christ. So I I appreciate that about our ward that our youth really seem to be focused on on what can bring them happiness. And um I uh I also like that when you know in sacrifice meetings, when people give talks, that they're genuine. Um I I you know I I really uh I really think that uh people don't try to pretend to be people they're not. And uh so I appreciate that about the ward. And and just that we we all realize we're imperfect people who are trying to working toward a common goal of being closer to God.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Yeah, that's great. Um when you look back on your life and you think about some of the bigger decisions you've made, maybe like who you marry, your family, your career, your college, going on a mission, things, things like that. What are some of the ways you feel like God helped you in making those decisions?

SPEAKER_01 15:59

Um yeah, those that those are those are all really big kind of monumental things in life. And I feel with those and and smaller decisions that um you know, I've asked for guidance and help. I've really tried to listen um to the spirit as I've as I've you know one occasionally I even with bigger decisions, I haven't felt a strong pull to go one way or the other. Um, but I pray and I just say, you know, hey, as I'm walking toward what to me seems like the right decision, will you just kind of help confirm and help guide me in in what I'm doing? And um, and he I feel he's done that. I I really I really can't think um of anything that would you know I I don't have any regrets um in terms of decisions about career and family. And um I really feel like I said, very blessed by by him and and um and that he's guided me in those steps. And like said, it's just making decisions is kind of a an interesting one, you know. Sometimes we might feel sometimes a strong pull to do something specific. Sometimes we might feel neutral. And um, but it's just important to number one, try to be living in such a way that the spirit can be with us and and um you know and and trust that God is also you know watching out for us and and won't let us go down a path of that will end in in regret and sadness.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

That's great. Is there anything else, any other spiritual topics you've been thinking about recently recently that we haven't really gone over?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Um no, I think you asked some great questions about some really important ones. Um I uh I don't know. As we study the Old Testament and uh, you know, you really uh just the recent recent topic of Joseph who was sold into Egypt. I I think about how um as we met with the teachers last Sunday in Teacher's Quorum, we talked about how great it was that he um you know he seemed to keep a really good attitude. Even you know, he was trying to do the right thing, and and yet he still ended up in prison, but he kept a good attitude. Um he a lot of that was I think he was really trying to also keep the commandments. You know, he he was tempted by Potiphar's wife, and and yet he even with her persistent um temptations, he he's he kept the commandments, he stayed true. And um, I just think there's you know a lot of power in making a decision to to keep the commandments, um, and doing our best and um and trying to stay out of situations where we might give into temptation. So I I I really uh I appreciate um come follow me and how it gives us practical application of scriptures, you know, events that took place thousands of years ago.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

Yeah, it's great that that traces back to that quote. What was that quote you said earlier about was it President Nelson? About the was it the circumstances of our lives?

SPEAKER_01 19:31

About joy. Yeah, yeah. The joy we feel has little. This isn't the exact quote, but I think it it it it's had something to do with joy, has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

That's an amazing quote, and just an amazing thing to think about. So if you were writing a book and you had to pick out some of the highlights of your life as as far as you've gone so far, what would some of the chapters be about? Or just your top highlights, you think?

SPEAKER_01 20:07

Oh, certainly the the thing that would dominate it would would be just um the happiness that um you know that family has brought to my life to be able to raise um kids with my wife, and for us to be on the same page as far as wanting children who work hard, children who are kind, children who have faith. Um so it would just be about about the fun um fun times and and challenging times that you know we've had as a family, how we've grown together. Um that would that would certainly dominate the story. Um it would uh it would also have to do with um I would definitely write a chapter about how much I appreciate the beautiful earth we have. I mean, I I mentioned earlier how much I love to be outside, I think, and and really love Colorado because of the sunset, sunrises, um, you know, being able to be up in the mountains, um, knowing that, you know, God certainly could have taken the easy way out and just created a really simple plain earth and not worked hard to to make it beautiful with all the plants and animals and everything that's on it. Um, but I I so appreciate um, you know, again, the beautiful earth we have and and for um you know the physical body I've been given that I I can go out and hike and bike and and ski and do things to enjoy the earth that it's created. So that that would that would be uh you know a part of that book too. Just um my appreciation for for the gifts of of the earth and of our physical bodies.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

Yeah, that's great. Last night I was fishing and and as I was just sitting there, I could see the sun setting. It was Bud Chaffi, you know, and it was just in one of those little offshoots of water, and it was just the most Beautiful thing to see the sun setting with the trees and all the geese and ducks flying away. It just reminds me of how peaceful and beautiful this earth is. So I agree heavily with that. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:11

What a great experience. That's awesome. Do you like do you do you like to keep what you fish at all ever and come home and cook it?

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Or well, I kind of hate the taste of fish. I can barely need it. So I just release it right after. But I've never I don't catch things very often, so I don't run into that problem. Um and let's say the last challenge.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Sounds like Grant. Yeah. Grant Grant hates to eat fish, but he does love fishing.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

So yeah, it's it's amazing. And if you could just leave one piece of advice for maybe you could think about your posterity 100 years in the future, reading this advice, what would you give to them?

SPEAKER_01 22:55

I would I would strongly encourage them to spend as much time as they can studying Christ and his character, and then trying their best. You know, like as you read through the New Testament, everything, every day, you know, wherever he walked, whatever he did, he was just looking out for other people. Um, you know, as as uh we had that sacrament meeting recently where we talked about the miracles that Christ performed, just so many things come to mind about how he was looking for people that physically or spiritually were suffering, and and he buoyed them up. And so I I would just really encourage my posterity to to read through um the scriptures, get to know who Christ really was, and then do their best to emulate him. You know, I think if if you do that, um and you know, if you uh if you after spending time in the morning studying and then go throughout your day, um, even though you have to work and you've got to go to school, you know, I ideally, I think as Elder Ukdorf said years ago, like you know, we um we don't need to think about being a disciple of Christ as another thing on our checklist. Like it it should be the thing on our checklist, and then everything else that we do, we can weave that discipleship into it. So I um, you know, I that's I'm I'm very imperfect at doing that, and I it's hard for me for me to keep my focus on that, but um, when I do, I I just find I'm much happier in the day. And I I I like the fact that if I have been able to help someone that day, I I I like I'm satisfied um knowing that I might have made a little bit of a difference in somebody's life. And so I just hope my posterity can focus on that and do a better job at that than I have.

SPEAKER_00 25:00

Yeah, I've definitely seen you act Christ-like through things like scouts and and um just in young men's. I've definitely seen that since growing up here, just you acting Christ-like and being so nice and patient to everyone around you. Well, thank you for taking the time to this interview. We've we've really got to know you pretty well, and I'm I think this is gonna be really inspiring to not just me, but everyone in our ward. So is there anything else you'd like to say to anyone?

SPEAKER_01 25:30

No, thanks, Tyler. I appreciate you taking the time to think of those questions to do this.