Sustaining the Prophet -- In Favor!!!

I missed the first hour of the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference yesterday. Not to worry though, I learned from my trusty Facebook feed that during the sustaining of the Prophet, his counselors and the 12 apostles, a negative vote was registered as several people yelled, “Opposed!” I wasn’t surprised to hear this as I’ve heard the rumblings and seen the posts and even watched during our own ward conference as someone chose not to sustain them when we were asked for a sustaining vote. So, this morning as I was readying things in the quiet before the storm of children and Easter baskets, I thought I would turn on the afternoon session and see for myself what had happened. 

I wasn’t prepared to see how this would affect my beloved apostles and prophets. When the first “Opposed!” voices cut through the air, President Uchtdorf caught his breath just slightly, as if hit by something, then quickly recovered and said that the response had been noted. Then as he read the names of the apostles and the camera panned past each one I looked at their faces. They appeared grim, troubled and very serious. Then I realized Elder Holland looked to be fighting back tears and upon closer examination many of them were. I’m overcome with sadness even now and can’t stop the tears from coming. I’m sure these men knew that this was coming, but the reality of it must have been deeply saddening to them. Why? These men consecrate their lives for decades to go amongst the people of this church serving and loving and teaching. They have to sacrifice a cushy retirement, spending lots of time with grandbabies or relaxing on a golf course to follow their Savior and do His work. They are happy to do it. They love Him so much and it is their testimonies of Him that give me strength. And they know and love President Monson with a depth that only comes from sitting next to a man and watching his selfless service for more decades than I have been alive. I think they grieved more for their beloved Prophet than for themselves. To see him rejected and opposed by fellow followers of Christ after his years of faithfulness in serving them must have felt in a small way like the crowds of Jerusalem yelling, “Crucify Him!” as the Savior of the world watched in silence.

The first presidency and the quorum of the twelve apostles don’t do what they do for prestige or fame or honor. They don’t teach what is unpopular because it is so fun to have the fiery darts fly in their direction. They do it for the same reason Abinadi was willing to testify to the end of his life, as they burned him to death, that he would follow Jesus Christ and proclaim his testimony even if it meant giving his life.

There were thousands in the conference center lovingly raising their hands to say, “We sustain you!” If their voices could be heard it would have been a thunderous noise. But they were willing to send that support through loving hearts and earnest expressions, praying that the spirit of the Holy Ghost would carry it to these men. 

I wish I could go to the conference center and yell, “I sustain you!” at the top of my lungs, but I can’t and it wouldn’t be the right way. I will just show them and my Lord that I do by listening to the words He gives them to say to me, by examining my heart when those words seem sharp or hard to hear and ask myself, “What changes do I need to make so I am in harmony with the Lord’s will as revealed through our prophets?” It’s not the flashy way, but flashy and loud and contentious isn’t the Lord’s way and I follow Him.

Happy New Year!

2014 was a...year! 

(Still searching for the perfect word to capture all the chaos and craziness)

According to tradition, I am compelled to share the strange and funny sayings heard around this house over the year. As we're getting older, the hilarious observations that come with little kids are less, but by our very natures, we're still weird so we're still writing it down. Here's to another year of laughing at ourselves! 

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Jonah gets out of the car for his early morning class and laments: “Aw, my buns were just getting toasty.” Jen replies: “It’s okay, just carry your toasty buns in your heart all day long.”

Doorbell rings, Jen yells: “If it’s a short guy, tell him Gid can’t play because his eyeballs are contagious!”

Talking about steak Hannah says, “I just don’t like it. It’s like chewing on a hunk of cow.”

Gid has a profound epiphany: “Mom, if I were a frog, I’d have a serious problem” 

Mom: “Oh really?”

Gid: “Yeah, cuz look how short my tongue is!” (sticks out his super short tongue, that could NEVER catch flies)

Mom: “Yup. You’d be dead.”

Gid: “Ew! Curtis your feet smell like bad dreams!”

While helping Gid read the long words during scripture time, Ren tells him: “Just slow down and take it one phoneme at a time.” Does anyone sense the irony?

The day our puppy Mikey got “fixed” Eli asked: “Is Mikey getting his tentacles removed?”

Gid is assigned to write about an invention that will be around when he is a grown-up. He announces: “I’m gonna invent the Puppy Maker 4000! You take a boy dog and a girl dog who haven’t been fixed and you put them in a giant metal box. Then you choose on the panel the number of puppies you want, press a button, wait a day and then you have puppies!”

Jonah: “I like sleep. It’s like a time-machine to my next meal.”

Gid says this about 97% fat-free hot dogs: “They tasted like rotten diapers on a Friday night!”

Mom: “I wish I could lose weight from crying. I’d be sooooo skinny by now!”

After Jen and Hannah give Cody most excellent girl advice he says: “You two are like knives through the butter of my confusion.”

Hannah looking at her smoothie: “It’s like ‘My Little Pony’ in a blender!”

Gid wolfing down a plate of pasta says: “When nooders are on the line, I’m on the move!”

During the week of the twins’ play, fake facial hair was found in random places. Finally Ren decreed: “Sideburns cannot live on the kitchen counter! You must observe proper sideburn storage!”

Jonah: “I am a valuable resource. My demand is high and so’s the supply.”

Cody: “Nobody likes 288. It’s just two gross.”

Cody: “That awkward moment at the feminist picnic when they realize nobody made any sandwiches.” 

Curtis: “What do you call a world leader’s cynical yet funny reaction after he falls into a canyon? Tsar-chasm!”

Jonah: “What do you call a dinosaur that gouges out its eyes? An Oedipus Rex.”

Curtis: “A couple of Smuckers trucks crashed on the highway. It caused quite a jam.”

Zach — A Hunger Games pun: Katniss and Peeta are looking for Finnick. Katniss says, “Where’s Finnick?” Peeta says, “Odair he is.”

Jonah: “How did God part the red sea? Through Os-Moses.”

Have a Punny New Year! (Groan.)