SPT--100 Things About Me #28

Since I have had writer's block for the past couple of weeks I thought I'd jump in with a SPT. This week's assignment:



100 Things About Me #28: "I have served in primary for 9 straight years."



That was then, but now I am released from serving in primary and I miss it. THe great thing about primary is you learn the gospel in its pure and simple form. I learned more about the plan of salvation, the Savior, the temple, following the prophet and strengthening the family by serving in the primary. I have heard women say that they feel they miss out when they serve in primary. Ifeel exactly the opposite. There's some divine wisdom in how the church is set up by allowing us to serve in different capacities. I think the adults benefit as much as the children by the way primary is structured. Here's what I loved about primary:

• the music
• the faith of the children
• the simplicity of the gospel. The things I learned about basic gospel principles did so much to strengthen my testimony.
• knowing the children and their personalities
• working with great women
• feeling so much love and the spirit constantly

Sunday was our primary program and I have to say I enjoyed it so much more as just as mom in the audience. This is the first year that I haven't been involved in writing the program or as a stake officer observing the program. The kids worked so hard on their parts. We invited two of our teachers from the school and they both came. Both were so impressed. I have to say it was an above average program. The singing was wonderful, the talks were well-prepared and most of them seemed to be the kids own words which I love.

Here are the highlights I want to remember about each of the kids:

• JONAH--This was Jonah's last primary program. He was asked to do an extra part at the last minute about the strength of the family. I had him write down his impressions on how he can strengthen his family and then I tied everything together for him. He told of how Nephi strengthened his family. His other part was shorter and talked about his faith in Christ. He also was supposed to sing "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" with his class. There are only three boys in his class and one of them was absent so it was Jonah and one other boy. I told him before the program started that he was going to have to step it up and he really did. I never could have sang in front of a group of people when I was 11. Jonah was totally confident and did great.
• EMMA--Emma spoke about her baptism and her impressions of her baptism day. She also sang a solo of a verse of "I Am A Child of God." She did great considering she just had a spacer put on her palate and she accidentally started singing before she was supposed to, but she recovered very well and regained her composure and was able to start again when the moment was right.
• ANNA--Anna invited her friend Natalie to come to the program. She had an invitation she was supposed to give to her teacher but she chickened out at the last moment and gave it to her friend Natalie instead. When it was time for the kids to go up Natalie marched right up there with Anna and they sat together and sang all the songs. Anna's part was a one liner and she delivered it with no problem.
• LILY-Lily was sitting behind the podium and I couldn't see her for most of the program. I was disappointed because she really love the primary songs and likes to belt them out. She also had a one liner which she had memorized and practiced saying slowly and clearly. She has worked really hard on all her speech issues.
• JACK--Jack thrilled me to pieces. He sang along with most of the songs and sat quietly on his bench. He did his part with the help of his teacher even though he had it memorized. He really love the gospel and the primary music and I was proud that he was able to make it through the program without incident. Sitting still for that long is a challenge for him but he did it like a champ.

The Book of Mormon

Today I had a missionary from another church stop by my house. She talked to me for awhile and left some literature for me to read. As soon as she left my front porch I ran back in the house and found a Book of Mormon. I offered it to her and she said she had already read it, but had decided to just stick with the bible. I bore a simple testimony of the truthfulness of the book and then went back inside the house. I must admit I shed a few tears of sadness that she so easily rejected the book.

As I reflected on this exchange I was reminded of one of my favorite conference talks from a couple of weeks ago. It was given by Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis who said:

I feel sad when someone who has been given the Book of Mormon and had these things explained to him still refuses to read it. I feel sad that some people allow themselves to be influenced by others, refuse to investigate the book, and set it aside as something without worth, never participating in the spiritual banquet it offers. To me, this is incomprehensible. It is as if a son or a daughter, separated from a loving father, refused to read a letter from him without even opening the envelope. Those who make such a choice are like spoiled children who refuse to even taste the meal tenderly prepared for them by their loving mother.

It was exhilarating, though, to bear witness of what I know to be true.