Jake's testimony

Sunday, Calvin woke up in the early hours with a fever. The kid is sprouting about 8 teeth at once, including molars. But he's been doing this for a while, so we suspected the fever was related to something else. Fortunately, Jared was able to check his ears. Both were red. He sent in a prescription, we dosed him up on Motrin, and when it came time for church, I hunkered down with Calvin and Karcyn. (I kept Karcyn home to make life easier on Jared).

I really HATE missing church. Not because the kids are sick, but because I HATE missing church. I HATE missing choir practice. I HATE not being able to take the Sacrament. I HATE not being able to sing the hymns. I HATE not being able to feel the spirit. I HATE not being able to learn something new. I HATE not being able to hear the testimonies of others. I HATE not being able to see my friends who share the same beliefs and perspective I do. I HATE not being able to serve someone.

With that said, however, it was a "good" Sunday to miss in that I didn't have any big responsibility to attend to that day. I wasn't teaching or conducting and didn't need to speak to anyone.

Turns out, after several months, Jake got up to bear his testimony in Sacrament meeting. He mentioned it to me casually in passing after church. He's been doing it off and on for a few years now after we learned about how to appropriately bear a testimony and practiced in family night.

Jared said at dinner that Jake gave a really great testimony. Jared related that Jake had shared that he got up early that morning around 6:30am (he was also fasting) and decided to watch the church movie "Praise to the Man" about Joseph Smith. He said it was very quiet, no one else was up yet, and as he watched the account of Joseph Smith's life, he heard a voice speak to him that said Joseph Smith was a true prophet. He even looked around to see if Cooper was the one whispering to him. Jake had gained a witness of the divine calling that Joseph Smith restored God's gospel in its fulness to the earth and that he was the one who translated the Book of Mormon from ancient records.

Apparently Jared got some playful flack after Sacrament meeting because he was sleeping in while our 9-year-old was watching church movies at 6:30 in the morning. Our kids never sleep in when you want them to. But I'm impressed he chose to watch a Sunday appropriate movie in the quiet of the Sabbath morning and not take advantage of the lack of parental supervision.

After Jared recounted what Jake had said, Jake nodded in agreement then added, "Yeah---I just need to really work on crying while I say my testimony. I don't know how to do that yet."