Change, it’s never easy. I thought about that as I joined the Etna Ward for church services this past Sunday.

The change is all the more difficult when something like the decades old Etna Ward building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is scheduled for replacement in the coming months.

Dedicated in 1950, this building is filled with memories as was aptly explained in the opening comments of Sunday’s services and again as I gathered memories from the individuals and families that have so much a part of that 76 year history through the generations.

I have attended some of the services and activities in Etna that were noted in this week’s feature report and always enjoyed the friendship of many from Etna.

Now it’s time to change. Church growth and the subsequent need for space will bring a new church that will serve up to four congregations and a ultimately a regional center.

I certainly wish my Etna friends and neighbors all the best with the wonderful memories of the past and the promise that comes with the future plans and construction.

My good friend, Don Baker summarized this change best with his comments in the feature report.

“It’s not the building but the covenants; that’s the legacy,” Baker concluded, “It’s not the building itself. It’s what’s taught about the Savior Jesus Christ.”