Raymond Setter

I am a fourth generation Latter Day Saint, my grandmother having been baptized by J.J. Cornish on the same day as her father. The Church has been with me from the beginning. I was one of those kids who was at camp and reunion every time the Blue Water Reunion Grounds in Lexington, Michigan were open. Over the years I have received many unique, mountain top experiences that have kept me motivated and fueled for the love of my Lord Jesus Christ. From those experiences I have learned to lean heavily on the Comforter and follow the direction of my Father.

I am happily married to my wife of 38 years, Leith, and we have three children – Raymond, Nicole and Matthew. They have given us eight beautiful grandchildren. Fifteen years ago we gathered to Missouri and now share 20 acres with Bishop Randy Porrett and his wife, Robbin. We have an orchard of various apple trees, with a few pear, cherry, apricot, peach and nectarine trees thrown in for good variety. Our property is called R First Fruits and we have consecrated our property to the Father. Because of the need for pollination of the fruit trees, I found myself getting involved in the beekeeping business and have enjoyed working with them and am definitely enjoying the honey – although not the bee stings that seem inevitable! We have two established ponds on the property that we have stocked with blue gill, crappie and bass. I love the outdoors and have enjoyed fishing and hunting all my life. I have even gotten myself involved in a hunting show that is aired on national TV.

However, my first love is spreading the good news about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I was first called into the Lord’s Holy Priesthood in 1978 as a priest. I was later called as an elder and served as a pastor of our small congregation in Michigan and then again after we moved to Missouri. In 1991, I was called to serve the Lord in the capacity of seventy. That call was confirmation to what was given in my Patriarchal Blessing in 1976 when I was told that I had a special work to do that only I could do and that I would be working with both the young and the old. I would go into the valleys to serve and then back to the mountaintop to be strengthened.

“I Love to Tell the Story” is one of my favorite hymns and I have been able to do that in many Restoration congregations over the years preaching Jesus Christ and unity among the Saints, although not as much and as often as I had hoped. I began praying in earnest about what the Lord would have me do and where He would have me serve. I also knew I was no longer going to be able to stay in the congregation where I had been worshipping as things were changing and the Lord showed me what was happening there and that He wanted me to be elsewhere. Shortly after that, the Lord woke me in the night and told me to pray about the Remnant Church. So I did just that. I didn’t tell anyone what was going on, I just waited for confirmation of what to do. We decided to “check out” the Remnant Church along with a few of the other Restoration branches in the area. Well, we attended the Remnant Church and didn’t need to go any further. We were home.

I feel very blessed to be able to serve the Lord by serving you during these last days. I am your humble servant.