*Today at church we were treated during the Fast and Testimony meeting to witnesses from the youth who had just returned from a trip to Nauvoo. My Gracie started them out, and after that, we had youth after youth share how the trip had impacted them in such positive ways. Something unique about their time in Nauvoo is that there was a tornado that came through, so they all had to seek shelter in the basements of the buildings (Gracie was in Brigham Young's home, Caytie was in the print shop, and Tessa was in the perfomance hall with the summer performing missionaires who kept them singing songs the whole time), and some who were already at Carthage had to wait in the jail cell until the storm was over. The youth then all got to participate in impromptu service projects, which was mostly cleaning debris from trees. (Gracie cleaned up water that leaked through the windows in the Young's house.) Many of the youth were touched by their trip to the temple to do baptisms, and with the fact that the temple (and its trees) suffered no damage. They were grateful to help their ancestors. They were grateful for learning about the Saints and their suffering. They were grateful for Joseph Smith. They (the youth) found peace in a place of sadness because they knew the Saints had been able to do the same with their faith in God. I hope they hold these experiences as a touchstone for their future testimonies, and remember what this trip meant to them.
*The Bishopric counselor started the meeting by sharing an experience of visiting his old mission president and hearing his advice, which he knew would be the same as the advice that he shared when he was a missionary. That made me think about my sweet President Markus, and about things he always said. One of them was, "Sister Danielson, the church is still true, isn't it?" He said that a couple times to me, especially after a couple months of transfers that were a little chaotic, in that I'd be told one thing and then another would happen. (I found out later that behind the scenes, they were working to get my papers approved so I could serve in Namibia, but the process was taking much longer than they anticipated--and so I was never able to serve there.) I mentioned this phrase to some others who had served with me, after we had returned home, and found out that it was just me that he would say it to, ad not to everyone as I had thought. But I still think of him with his winky smile, shaking my hand, and asking me if, despite surprises or chaos or uncertainty, the church is still true. And it is. His question and my answer are one of my own touchstones of my testimony.
It was a delight!
