Sunday Funnies & Fruits of the Gospel

Funny #1:  I woke up Leif and Dax before 6 a.m. because I yelled, "I just got a voicemail! I just got a voicemail!" and then sobbed uncontrollably about a dream I was having.

Funny #2:  In primary there was a poster that said, "Jesus Christ is the perfect example for me," but the kid reading it aloud said, "Jesus Christ is the perfect employee for me."

Funny #3:  That same kid said that we had Easter because Santa Claus died and was resurrected.

Funny #4:  I noticed an elderly gentleman who lives on my street was at "Easter worship" today, and I'm pretty sure he's not LDS, so I caught him in the foyer after sacrament meeting to do a little fellowshipping. I said hi and told him I see him walking his dog all the time, and then I asked him his name. He replied, "Cricket." So I stumbled over my words a little as I said something like, "Oh, okay, Brother Cricket," to which he replied, "Oh, I thought you asked me what my dog's name was. My name is Dan Smith." We chuckled a little with each other as I said something profound like, "Well, I'll have to call your dog by name next time I see her, too." It was slightly embarrassing, but I'm sure Bro. Cricket felt the spirit.

Fruit #1:  "Snooze Button Moments"--things that we should do now but we repeatedly push off (repentance, following a prompting, having a family, etc.)

Fruit #2:  Paige's first talk in primary was a paraphrase of the song "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," and she did such a good job. I was a very proud mommy.

Fruit #3:  I've been thinking today about Bruce R. McConkie's last testimony of Jesus Christ. I think it is one of the most powerful witnesses of our Savior ever to have been borne in our church. After detailing Jesus' final hours, Elder McConkie says:

. . . as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

(To read the talk in its entirety, go here. I strongly recommend it. Seriously, read it.)

So, then I found this story on the internet. I know, sometimes these stories aren't true, but I'm going to just go ahead and believe this one because . . . well, I just am. It seems legit.

So here you have it:

"Recently in our fast and testimony meeting, we had the opportunity to hear Sister Amelia McConkie bear her testimony. As she began to speak, I felt strongly impressed to take notes, recognizing that it was a rare opportunity to hear a first-hand account of Elder Bruce R. McConkie's last few weeks. After church I wrote up the account and then took it to Sister McConkie to make sure it was correct, and to get her approval.

Sister McConkie's story:

. . . Some 15 years ago, my husband Bruce R. McConkie was very ill. The doctor told us he had two months to live, at the most. However, Bruce felt he still had some things he wanted to do. The Brethren gave him a blessing and his family gathered to share their faith and prayers. He lived an additional fourteen months, although he was very ill much of that time. He never thought he wasn't going to get better. He told me time and time again that this was the Lord's test for him, and that he had enough faith in and of himself to be healed.

Early in February, on an overcast day much like today, I decided to make a pie to cheer him up, as he loved pie. While I was doing this he lay on the floor in our bedroom, which he often did. He had a pencil and paper in hand and was writing. Then he came into the kitchen where I was working and said, "Do you want to hear what I'm going to talk about in conference?" The pie was almost finished and I wanted to get it in the oven, but I soon realized that you don't make pies while he's talking like this. So I stopped and sat down to listen. He read to me his talk, and I said, "It's the most beautiful thing you've ever written, but how will you ever do it?" He was so ill and so weak. "I don't know," he answered, "but I will."

His doctor was so worried: "You've got a dying man on your hands; you must not let him speak at conference. If he tries, he will collapse on nationwide television." But I couldn't try to stop him. He was determined to do it and nothing could have stopped him. Our son said, "I don't think there's anything Dad wanted to do more than preach that last sermon at conference." So our children fasted together, asking that their father would have the physical and emotional strength to fulfill his wish.

During the Saturday morning session of April 1985 General Conference, a thin Bruce R. McConkie took his place at the pulpit, and despite his weakened condition, he bore majestic testimony to the truths so integral to his life and mission. He testified [of Christ].

The following Sunday Elder Packer visited him at home and gave him a blessing in which he told Bruce he should "quit resisting the will of the Lord." We both knew what he meant. At the conclusion, with tears running down his face, Bruce looked at me as I stood at the foot of the bed, and said, "Amelia, do you know what he just did?" "Yes," I answered, "he has sealed you unto death."

That was so hard on Bruce. He wanted so much to live. But as I showed Elder Packer out, Bruce got up, folded the bedspread as he always did at night, got ready for bed, and got under the covers. Always before he would insist that I make the bed and he would lay on top of it, fully dressed. But this was his way of saying to the Lord, "I am bowing to your will." He passed away a short time later."

As recorded and written by Jane P. Merrill September 6, 1998, from www.mormonhaven.com.

Isn't that a great story? Hope you all have a wonderful Easter.