The Sabbath

Sunday is a very busy day.  We have our Branch Council at 8:15 a.m.  Priesthood, Sunday School and Sacrament fill out our Sunday Block.  I enjoy ending with Sacrament meeting. 

I received a text from our Gospel Doctrine teacher just as Priesthood was about to begin.  She was ill, throwing up, and not able to teach.  She said the lesson was #41 in the manual.  I checked the manual out of the library and spent half of the Priesthood meeting going over the material.  I was a bit rattled as I tried to organize it in my mind.  However, I can testify that if you do your part, the Spirit will help when the time comes.  Even as I started the lesson I wasn't sure how I was going to pursue this.  I'm one that takes a week of mulling over data before trying to organize it and then present it. 

I had spent a final block of time Wednesday evening in Institute testifying to the importance of reading the scriptures, and especially the scriptures for the class before coming.  I used the analogy that Elder Uchtdorf used in describing living the gospel.  "You cannot live the gospel like the boy who dips his toe in the water and then claims to have gone swimming."  The Gospel Doctrine lesson focused just on that life-style block.  You can't place your scriptures on your bedside table and tell yourself that you are studying from the scriptures.  Well, it all worked.  I was nervous, but it all worked.

Word is out that we are teaching a missionary prep class on Tuesday evenings.  Others want to attend as well.  It appears that we will start a second class on Saturday mornings in about 3 weeks. 

We had our break the fast pot luck dinner at 5:00 p.m.  The kids are very helpful in bringing food.  We always have food left over.  There is always enough that our 4 missionaries can eat too.  They were preparing for a baptism.  (A high school senior had told her parents yesterday morning that she wanted to be baptized.  She was baptized last evening at 7:00 with a full room of family and friends to support her.)  After our break the fast meal I took the YSA branch into the relief society room and showed Elder Holland's fireside talk from September 3rd.  They were very attentive and anxious to hear the words of an Apostle.   His way of showing that ones heart must be very close to the Savior as well as ones lips.  He illustrated that we should never check our religion in at the door with three vocal vignettes.