Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
The Highlands Ranch Ward is a sharing of spiritual experiences, family history and inspiring Christian principles. The goal of the podcast is to help our members get to know each other better as well as inspire people to draw closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, scripture study, family history and living the principles Jesus taught.
Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
Tim Bertoch
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Grant Stucki interviews Tim Bertoch about his spiritual journey, testimony of the gospel, and advice for younger generations.
All right. Everyone, thanks for tuning in to another episode to the Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast. This is Bishop Stukey. I will be your host today. I know that's kind of disappointing. We've had our youth being the host recently. Today I'll be interviewing Tim Bertosh. Tim, thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER_01No, happy to join. I feel privileged to be interviewed by Bishop Stukey. I said, huh, it's just nothing more than a bishop interview. That's nice.
SPEAKER_00Yep, just give it to us straight. I like that. All right. With that said, we'll jump into um kind of the similar questions that we've been asking our other guests. Our first question for you is how would you answer the question of when or maybe how did you convert to the gospel?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I guess kind of for me, the way I think about that is that it's definitely been a process. I can't really zero in on a particular event, although I've had events in my life that have greatly strengthened my testimony and solidified my feelings about the gospel. But I think I was born in the gospel, my parents, um, their parents, kind of long-standing members of the church. So I was raised in the gospel and was taught by good parents. I think the one thing that stands out to me was probably my um freshman year at school, preparing to go on a mission, and um having to make that decision really enabled me to get more focused on where I stood and uh and kind of where my testimony was. And the thing that really solidified me, helped me at that point was gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Uh, so I was able to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it. And actually, all the time I was reading the Book of Mormon, I just felt uh uh you know comfortable that that was the Word of God, that that was revealed truth to Joseph Smith. So I would say that that was foundational for me. I feel like I'm still converting because there's a lot of things I still need to learn and uh and grow from. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's great to hear. I think a lot of us have a similar experience when we're a teenager or in early 20s, whenever it is, reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. There's there's just the power in that book that really helps convert people. And I appreciate you said you're still converting. I mean, even uh I know you've been a bishop, you've been a missionary multiple times. I mean, you've held probably most callings in the church, and to say you're still converting is is pretty cool. I think we're all in that same boat. Um, next question is what is a favorite family history story that you have that kind of inspires you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, actually there's there's a few, but I think maybe the their 30,000-foot view is the conversion of um the Bertosh ancestors. And um basically the story there is is that there was um a sect that broke off from the Catholic Church. They were known as the Waldenese, and um they broke off in Lyon, France. They were considered heretics because, and this is going back to like the 12th century, because they believed that the Bible should be accessible by all people, you know, like in their language. Um, they felt that um everybody should have an opportunity to serve. Um, and so, and a cut and some other fundamental things, but they were basically exiled, persecuted, and the Bertosh family ended up in northern Italy in the um Piedmont area of Italy, where they were introduced to the gospel when Lorenzo Snow was sent there as a missionary, and they took the lessons. And um my, I don't know, great, great, great, great, going back, this is in the 17 or the 1800s, Jean Bertache joined the church. He was a widower with five children, and um, him and a kind of like a whole community of these Waldenese joined the church in that area. Uh, he sold his property and uh started sending his children. He was uh to America. He was asked to stay and serve as a branch president in that area, and he later joined his family in America. He ended up dying along with a son and a daughter uh crossing the plains. Um, but the family was one of the first group of Italians to actually immigrate to the Salt Lake Valley. So, I mean, for me, I just I just think about the sacrifice and the faith um of that family, and um that's very inspiring to me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's an incredible story of sacrifice, so awesome. Um, how about a favorite scripture story of yours? Is there one that kind of comes back to you in your life?
SPEAKER_01Oh, um there are a few. I I think one that I kind of relate to, which has stuck with me, is the story of Enos in the Book of Mormon. Um, again, because I feel like I was blessed with good parents, and Enus begins his story talking about how the words of his father umtured him and the admonishment that his parents gave him, and how he had that wrestle with the Lord and needed to repent. And those are all things I can relate to, and um and that he had a real desire to move forward and uh grow closer to his father in heaven, and um that resulted, of course, in his forgiveness. And then the other thing I love about that story is that it didn't end there. Um, he was filled with the love of God and was very concerned about his fellow men, the Nephites and the Lamanites. And uh, I just love that about Enos and that he then moved forward and served uh exercise faith serving through the rest of his days. So I I really love that story.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that's that's probably my favorite part of that story where he's filled with love and then goes on to serve others. Uh, I mean, it reminds me of several in the New Testament who Christ healed and then, you know, didn't just walk away but followed him and went and did his work. I think there's a story of the man possessed by demons, you know, and in Mark chapter four or five, where he's healed and he then comes back to Christ and just says, I want to follow you. And it's one of those rare moments where Christ says, No, don't follow me, go and to your your town and preach the gospel. And um, and he does he does. I mean, it's just awesome to hear those stories where someone's kind of not only healed physically or in their own um trial, but but then kind of elevated to that spiritual plane to then go and help other people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, I love that.
SPEAKER_00That's pretty cool. Um, the next question is what is the time you've struggled with something in your life and you've you know metaphorically kind of felt the savior walking with you in that trial?
SPEAKER_01All right, I have to confess that I've never struggled with anything in my life. Okay, I'm I'm just kidding, but um I really have not had any real serious hard trials in my life. It's not to say that um there haven't been times where I've been challenged or felt kind of lost a little bit. I've never really had a crisis of faith, but there have been times where I've definitely been stretched and um maybe didn't uh couldn't see clearly. And um and I've always just felt comfortable knowing that I could trust in trust in the Lord, that that things were gonna be okay if I was doing my part and um you know trying to honor the covenants that I made, that things would be okay. So I I've always just um just kind of felt that reassurance that um you know he was with me, that he will always be with me and will help me. Um I sometimes worry about what's around the corner, like you know, maybe maybe I'm I'm feeling pretty confident now, but uh there's still tests yet to come, but but I've always felt like he he is there with me. So I'm I'm grateful for that.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, I mean, I know you've had um various uh trials and struggles uh with you know with your own family, with your life, and so that's cool to hear you say that they haven't been so huge that has um you know, I guess caused you to forget or to feel alone from the presence of of the savior. Um the next question is what do you love about our ward? Is there anything that stands out to you of being unique or special about the Havens Ranch ward?
SPEAKER_01Um well, we've been in the ward for 32 years. So um we love the ward. I mean, um we were out of the ward for about a year and um wanted to move back into the ward when we did. But um I think our ward is um, I I don't know that it's unique this way, but I do feel like we're very service-oriented in our ward. Um members are willing to serve, willing to give of their time, genuinely care about the welfare of each other. I think we're a welcoming ward. Um, you know, like just yesterday, that was that yesterday, the move with the Johnson family in our ward, so many people showed up. So I I love that about our ward. I I love the uh strength in our ward, the um the faith that is shown by members in our ward. And um, so yeah, I love the Highland Tranch board.
SPEAKER_00So is that a record? Is there anyone who's been in the ward longer than you?
SPEAKER_01Um, well, the a couple names, the right, uh, Mark and Pam, the Wilsons. Um I may be missing some, but I know that like the Wilsons and the Wrights have been in the ward longer than this.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Next question is what is a recent time, maybe in the last couple weeks, that you felt the spirit in your life?
SPEAKER_01Okay, that's an interesting question. Um I saw you know when you sent that to me. Um I kind of have different feelings about that question. Um that um I don't know how important it is for how recent people feel the spirit. I'm I'm in the camp, like I believe in the sacramental prayer that um there's a promise that the spirit will always be with us. So um I guess it's more a question of like um how do I recognize that the spirit is always with me? Because I yeah, I I take it on kind of on the surface that if if I am doing the things I'm supposed to be doing, honoring that covenant, that I always have the spirit with me. I felt the spirit in our sacrament meeting and in our second hour of just this past Sunday. Um, I felt the spirit of um missionary work, that God loves all of his children, that there's a place for everybody in serving in his church. And um I love that. I so I felt the spirit then I I felt the spirit um in different ways, but um I also I also recognize that and I and I believe in the promise that we can always have the spirit to be with us. So um every day I feel like if I'm doing my if I'm doing things, I'm not saying that every day I am, but I feel like I have the spirit to be with me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I love that. Oh, I love that answer so much. Maybe the question is more like when is a time recently you felt the spirit so strong that it kind of elicited it, you know, an emotional, strong emotional response or something like that. Because I I would agree. I mean, even just um, you know, at work today, I felt the spirit guiding me, touching parts of my mind, helping me remember things, helping me to focus, and just feeling comforted and and protected. And I could probably say that's almost the case every day. So I think you're right.
SPEAKER_01It's it's um yeah, because I think there's some people who really struggle or say, like, I don't feel the spirit, and um, you know, what does that mean? Um, I think a lot of times when you look back, you can see that you were guided and directed by the spirit, and so um that's the way I like to think about it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, it's a fantastic thing. I think probably a lot of the time we don't when it is so constant, we don't really recognize maybe that it's there, but it is there almost like you know, if you were wearing a shirt or something and you you just kind of forget what shirt is, or you know, or I don't know, you you couldn't um remember exactly something that's always there for you. Anyhow, I don't know what I'm trying to say, but just maybe the recognizing part is maybe what's important.
SPEAKER_01Um like I think I think that's partially why we're encouraged to pray, read the scriptures, because then we're remembering him. And um, I think that when we're remembering him, even in our thoughts, like I don't think there's a day that goes by, honestly, where I don't have some gospel-related thought about my family, about myself, situations. And um I just feel I can't help but have the spirit with me when I'm having those kinds of thoughts.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I love it. Totally agree. Another another question for you is um kind of looking down the road, if you could go a hundred years in the future and talk to you know, your posterity, great, great grandkids type of a thing, what uh advice, if any, would you give them?
SPEAKER_01I mean, the very first thought that came into my mind was like, knock it off. That that was the first thought that came into my mind. Um, maybe that's more a reflection of what my grandparents somebody should have said to me. But um, yeah, I mean, I think that um I would probably just want to emphasize that they are a valued son and daughter of a loving heavenly father, and just really want to help them understand their divine identity, uh, their potential, and the that Heavenly Father has a plan and purpose for them that's perfect. And um along with that, is just like be a good person, you know, be kind, uh, love others and serve uh as much as you can. That would probably be my advice.
SPEAKER_00Um, I love that. Well, an additional question is maybe kind of related, um focused in on your calling. Um so you're the word clerk and you're part of our bishopric. Um what is it like for you serving in that calling and being involved with uh the bishopric? You know, good or bad. What comes to mind when you think of serving in that capacity?
SPEAKER_01Um I mean, I I love it. I I um don't know that I'm a real accomplished clerk, but um I think there's ways that I can maybe bless people's lives somehow um through service in that calling. The thing I love most about it is the association with members of the ward, our bishopric, members of the bishopric and the the ward council, and the opportunity it gives me to just kind of grow and learn in those councils um as we council together. So I'm grateful for the calling.
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I think uh there's probably a lot of members who don't realize that um the ward clerk is part of the bishopric and is in all ward councils. And um I I mean, so I would just say that for me, your presence there and your your wisdom, your input, the things you say in our bishopric meetings and ward council is just invaluable, you know. And I think you're an incredible leader, mentor, um person to me, and and I think to our ward council and many people in our ward. So um makes me emotional just talking about how how you've um impressed me and the and the joy I find serving with you. So I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, thanks, Bishop.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Well, thank you for taking the time to do this podcast.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, I think it's a good way for people to get to know you and all of us, and it's a file too we can kind of keep and I could send to you as well. You could load up on your family tree or your family search if you ever wanted to, so your kids could listen to it. So it could be a cool thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00All right, have a good rest of the day.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for watching.