Sunday, January 13, 2013

Memorable Sunday

Last month, the boys and I were sick for the first two or three weeks of December.  During that time our bishopric called to ask Jon and me to speak in Sacrament Meeting one Sunday.  We had to say no because I had no voice at all and we weren't going to make it.  Unbeknownst to me, Jon agreed to have us speak in January instead.  Jon forgot all about it, though, until Friday (2 days ago) when it was confirmed to us after 9:00 PM that yes, we were assigned to speak in Sacrament meeting THIS SUNDAY!  I teach Relief Society lessons the 2nd Sunday of each month and had left my lesson to prepare on Saturday, so it turned out to be a sort of marathon-relay of preparing my talk, giving Jon space to prepare his, and then preparing my lesson.  (We have just started on the 9:00 AM block session this year, whereas last year we were accustomed to a cushy 1:00 PM meeting start time, with plenty of morning space for last minute preparations.  NOT ANYMORE!  Have you ever tried getting 5 little boys and 2 adults ready for church by 9:00 AM?  Not easy.)
Anyhow, I gave my talk, which was on "Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself," and it went really well, I thought.  At least, I felt like what I had prepared came across clearly and easily, and I think the Spirit was able to speak to the hearts of those who were present.  Jon spoke too, and did a fabulous job on his topic of "Love the Lord Thy God With All Thy Heart..."  He finished and we had the closing hymn and prayer, and I was just picking up cereal crumbs and toys when the sister sharing the bench with us turned to me and said, "Did you know Elder Oaks is here?"  I just had time to say, "oh, really?" when someone called my name, and it was Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve, standing at the end of my row with his hand outstretched to shake mine.  Slightly stunned, I shook his hand and he said, "Sister Thomas, you quoted me!"  (And I had.  Right near the beginning of my talk.)  He turned  and shook Jon's hand too, and then said, "thank you, Brother and Sister Thomas, those were two of the best Sacrament Meeting talks I have heard in a long time."  Well, that felt wow!
Turns out Elder Oaks stayed to all of our meetings and visited part of Sunday School, Primary, a couple of youth Sunday School classes, Elders' Quorum, and the tail end of... Relief Society.  Yes, my Relief Society lesson.  I lost my place for a minute when he walked in, but I think the lesson as a whole went over really well.  It was nice that he came in at the end because I happened to end about 8 minutes early.  So he was able to get up and address us, which he said he doesn't usually get to do.  He said that on the rare Sunday when he doesn't have to be to a Stake Conference, he will drive around until he finds a church building that he feels he ought to stop at.  And today it was ours.  He said he got there in time to take the Sacrament, but too late to go sit up on the stand.  He said he just likes to go see how the "real church" is run, and that we and other wards like us are the real church.  He likes to see how the manuals and curriculum are being used and taught.  It was really amazing to have him there; our ward was all aflutter the whole block.
My 3 oldest boys all came home and recorded their experience with him in Primary in their journals.  It's not every day you get to have an apostle of Jesus Christ walk in on your meetings!  I have met apostles before (I even met Elder Oaks last year after a Seminary broadcast), but this was somehow more intimate.  To me, it kind of felt like a confirmation that not only the things I had prepared in my talk and lesson were pleasing to God, but that He is pleased with how I am trying to live and trying to teach my boys His gospel.  What a memorable day.