Last Sunday they had Hyrum, Val, Jeremy, and me speak in church. I think it went well. They wanted to hear Val's conversion story, and I think it probably surprised a few people. :) Last time I spoke in church I was scared. I prepared really well, but it didn't go smoothly. This time I felt like I was able to make it my own, and I'm happy with how it turned out. And, of course, Hyrum and Jeremy did great too. I wondered what everyone was thinking about it all. I know that video games are kind of a hot button with some people. I guess my hope is that it showed them that what you make of your surroundings is what matters. Certainly, you have to be careful. We have encountered weirdos of all sorts out there, but we choose who we associate with in the game.
Anyway, that's not what I talked about. My topic was President Oaks's talk called The Godhead and The Plan of Salvation. It's a good one. I appreciated it because it's good to think these basics through again with added perspective from an apostle. Cool. (PS I'm so excited for Conference!)
We went to Kartchner Caverns and then we went camping on our mountain this week. Spring break ya know. It's been a nice week. I'm loathing the thought of sending people to school tomorrow. Jeremy had a whole week off work, and it was loverly.
The dogs are a pain in the bum. They are still in the chewing things up phase. They've chewed up two pairs of Jill's shoes. They've ripped the seat off my porch swing. They chewed everything off the frame of our little trampoline that came with the swing set. And I think they have officially killed all our fruit trees. And the grass. They knock down my babies if they try to go out to play. We got a good sized kennel for them, but if we put them in together they fight. Stinkers. So we have to chain one to the tree and put the other in the kennel. But then they tunnel out, and the one who is chained up tunnels in. Ugh. Why do we have dogs again? (I know why. It's because we love Joe and wanted to help him out. And it's been good for Michael and Benji to have that responsibility. I can't wait until they get past the chewing stage. At least a year to go.) But we have been decent pet owners. They have both had all their shots and have both been fixed, and Michael walks them every day.
OK, that's enough of that. I found some stories I liked, and I want to post them because I liked them. (I'm going through my computer files and deleting things I don't want to keep on the hard drive. I thought these would be fun to share. Brother Reed in the story was an Institute teacher that I just absolutely loved. He was so good. He had so many good stories and was so excited about the things he taught. And he went off on tangents all the time. I can still remember different ways he taught, just like I was in his class yesterday. He was really animated at times, and really happily serious at other times. It was just fun.)
Story 1
Brother Reed told us a story about his son who was really
smart. He was in High School and was
also a senior at a university. On the
first day of class his last semester (?) he went into his philosophy (?) class,
and the professor said that if any of them could find a statement that is
self-standing (cannot be refuted) and which can stand through rebuttal from the
class, that student would receive an A in the class and wouldn’t have to do any
assignments or anything.
Well, the son
came home from school and went to Brother Reed and said, “Is it true that the
answers to all of life’s problems can be found in the Book of Mormon?” Brother Reed said yes and asked why. And the son told him about his class and that
he was going to find a self-evident statement in the Book of Mormon.
So he went in
his room and read and studied for a really long time. And after a long time Brother Reed heard a loud
“aha!” He went in his son’s room and
found him dancing around the room yelling, “I’m going to get an A! I’m going to get an A!” He had found his answer.
So the next
time the class met (the second day of class), he went to the teacher and said,
“I would like to present my self-evident statement today.” The teacher was prepared for him to be shot
down right away – this little high school kid.
Well, this kid handed out Book of Mormons to everyone including the
teacher (they had his testimony written in them), and told them to turn to the
page where he’d found it, and then he read, “There must needs be opposition in
all things.” Then he said, “Now I will
take rebuttal.
The class
didn’t say anything. They couldn’t or
they would be opposing him, and that would prove his point.
He got an A. :)
Story 2
Once there was a little boy
who was sick and needed an operation.
When he went into the operating room and before the surgery could start,
he asked the head surgeon, "Could you pray for me before you operate?" No, he said.
The little boy went from face to face, searching and asking each if they
could pray for him. When they all said
no he again spoke to the head surgeon and asked, "Then will you wait while
I pray for myself?"
The little boy knelt upon the table and prayed, "Heavenly
Father, I'm just a little orphan boy, but I'm awful sick and need an
operation. Please bless these doctors
that will operate that they can do it right.
Please make me well and I will be a good boy. In Jesus' name, Amen."
The little boy then laid down on his back and said, "I'm
ready."
The doctors were no longer ready, asl all eyes in the room
were filled with tears. The chief
surgeon was asked later about the boy he had operated on. He said, "That was the most remarkable
experience of my life. I have operated
on hundreds of people and have heard many people pray before I operated on
them, but never before that little boy have I heard anyone talk face to face
with God."
