Monday, September 17, 2007
Sacrament Meeting:
Bishop's wife spoke in Sacrament today. She's a really sweet lady and I love her already, even though I haven't actually met her yet. Anyway, she was telling us the story of the man to whom Jesus said, "Come, follow me," and then replied, "Suffer me first to bury my father." (I'm totally paraphrasing all of that, just so you know.) She then presented us with the question, what is it that we are saying we want to do first, before we follow the Lord? What is it that is keeping us back? "Suffer me first to finish this television show, this movie, this book, my studies, get a career, get married, etc." It causes me to wonder, nay, to contemplate, what is it that
I expect to happen first, before I can more fully follow the Lord, even Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer? I'm not really certain at this point (though I'm sure there is something or another holding me back), so this is something I'm going to have to ponder about some more. I expect, though, that it probably has something to do with my pride.
But it reminds me of a story that Sir Mountainous was telling Supervisor and me at work the other day. In his family, they are always saying "Hold on!" when asked to do something. Last Monday, during Family Home Evening, they were discussing scripture stories. I don't remember all of the stories that they went over, but I remember they talked about Noah and the flood, Nephi when he was tied up on the ship, and Joseph Smith Jr. in the Sacred Grove. "Now let's change history," Sir Mountainous told his small children. "What would have happened had Noah told his family, 'OK! It's starting to sprinkle, time to get in the ark!' and his family said, 'Hold on!'" "They would have drowned," said small children. "OK, next story," says Sir M. "Let's say Nephi's tied to the ship and his brothers are beating him. God tells the angel to go down and save Nephi when the angel says, "Hold on!" What would have happened?" "Nephi would have died and then they all would have drowned," said small children. Honest, not all the stories had to do with drowning. Take, for example, the next one. "Joseph Smith is in the Sacred Grove. Do you remembered what happened then, before he saw God the Father and His son, Jesus Christ?" "An evil spirit came and tried to destroy him." "And if Joseph's prayer had been answered with 'Hold on!', then what?" I think you see the point.
Sunday School: I know there was something, I'm just too tired to remember what it was right now.
Relief Society:
"We need an unspoiled companion who will not count our wrinkles, remember our stupidities nor remember our weaknesses; ... we need a loving companion with who we have suffered and wept and prayed and worshiped; one with whom we have suffered sorrow and disappointments, one who loves us for what we are or intend to be rather than what we appear to be in our gilded shell."
-Spencer W. Kimball
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