Rough Stone Rolling

There’s a Gordon B. Hinckley story that goes like this:

First Counselor Hinckley was addressing a congregation in the temple assembly hall during a dedication for the newly-created temple movie. Michael Ballam was there as well as other cast members. At one point, Hinckley stopped and then said, “I believe it would be appropriate at this time to share something with you that Church leaders haven’t talked about before. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden into the lone and dreary world, some years later Adam did return once, taking his two oldest sons with him. Looking around the Garden he said, ‘This is it. This is where your mother ate us out of house and home.’” The congregation stared wide-eyed at Brother Hinckley, not sure how to receive this new information. Then the first counselor smiled and winked at them, and continued his address.

It would be easier for me to say this is a Mormon urban legend, an apocryphal story that probably never happened– but it did. My bishop and his wife shared it with me yesterday as we were preparing food for a homeless shelter. They were in the congregation that day, and it blew them away. It was also a testimony to them (and to me) that you can be a righteous person and still keep your sense of humor alive.

And speaking of serving meat, we delivered dinner to the homeless yesterday. It turned out to be a wonderful event– the shelter was actually an armory manned by soldiers. It had a large hall with cots, showers, and a big screen TV for entertainment. About 120 people showed up for our dinner– 20 roasts, 100 lbs. of mashed potatoes, a huge vat of gravy, several tins of green beans, a huge tossed salad with avocado & pineapple, 156 large dinner rolls and cake for dessert– and about half came back for seconds. While we were serving, a bunch of the folks gathered around the big screen to watch a DVD of “The Godfather” with sound blasting– I’m gonna KILL those *&#@!!!– as the sweet sisters handed out juice boxes. The way we set up and tore down, you’d think it took us no time at all to throw this together, but after spending the whole day cooking, buying supplies, calling people, loading, unloading and running around, I was thoroughly trashed by the time I got home.

I’m still feeling the afterglow of it all, like I used to the morning after a prom, or the day after high school graduation. I think part of it had to do with the homeless shelter, and part was due to teaching all the Temple Prep lessons to a “golden” one-year member the night before. It took 2 1/2 hours, and as soon as I was done with him, the bishop pulled him in for his Melchizedek priesthood interview. We’re trying to fast track him through the stake system so he can be announced to the priesthood body by next Thursday and then get his recommend interview right after. We’re like the Geek Squad of ordination– can you say amen?

I took this morning off to go to the temple. I’m on a high I’m not quiet ready to let go of yet.