Many of us in the DC area are mourning the sudden loss of James Baird, President of the Washington DC Stake.
Please continue to pray for his family and friends for comfort in the days and months ahead.
I would like to suggest that our Earth Stewardship East group plant a grove of native trees in honor of James Baird. Later this spring I will contact Lindy Baird to see if this would please her.
I remember in several conversations President Baird telling me how much he loved nature and felt close to God when he could spend time in the woods or looked up at the stars. He loved fishing and spending time camping, hiking or boating. He didn't have time to join our ESE activities but he was aware of us. I treasure the book he gave me as a peace offering. After a difficult interview with him, he surprised me with a gift, the book "Evolving Faith" by BYU evolutionary biologist Steven Peck. From that time on I felt I had a friend in James Baird.
A quote from a talk by James shared by Rachel Klein: “Many people have said they would die for the Lord or for his Gospel. I say, let us live for it. We will all die and that soon enough, until then let's live for our beliefs. Do you love Jesus? Then act like it by following his teachings.” — James Baird, November 2017
President Baird inspires me to be more kind, Spirit-guided and spontaneous, generous, faithful.