Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Mantle of the Priesthood







Wish I'd taken some photos of Walt preparing for the talk he will give later today in Sacrament Meeting. But I'll try to browse up a photo or two of him...what's a blog without a couple of photos?!
[Found one of us at FHE last Monday at Leckie's when we had that outstanding talk given at the 165th Martyrdom Commemoration at Carthage. I fowarded a copy to many of you. Let me know if you didn't get it and would like to have it.]
[Two more photos: Walt with Elders Digiovanni and Turnbow, from Texas and Sandy, Utah, whom we had over for lunch on Tuesday. One of us in the hall at area office this week. The date on my camera got out of sync for that one as it sometimes does.]
Walt was assigned this topic about three weeks ago: "The Mantle of the Priesthood." He's been pondering it and last Sunday he started looking up information.
The word "mantle" is not found in the Topical Guide or Bible Dictionary--either English or Spanish.
So he pulled up some of the Brethren's talks about it, plus wrote down some of his observations and experiences.
[Note: You can find LDS information faster on a Goodle Search than through the ldschurch.org.]
So every night this week when we got home from the area office, he worked very late on his talk. By Thursday he had a draft written out.
(Those who have heard him speak during his six years as a bishop, then 9 1/2 years as a stake president, plus before and since, including many funerals, know that he never reads a talk. I think most people thought he just stood up and it flowed from him. Yes, it does flow from him, but he pays theprice and puts in much preparation on each talk...so that "in the very hour it is given him what to say...")
I got the first draft typed Thursday just before we six Sr. Missionary couples left the area office at 4:30 to attend the six o'clock temple session in English, which is every first Thursday.
He handed me the second draft Friday afternoon, so it was typed. Now mind you, I type fast, but this is typing in a foreign language I barely understand.
Saturday he revised and was getting ready for what I thought was a 3rd draft.
For three hours in the afternoon we took time out to go to Florida Street--on the subway-- which is a main shopping area of the city. We were assigned to buy the birthday gift for Elder Barton's birthday (the other six couples help pay for it), and his wife told us he wanted a book about Buenos Aires that we knew would be at a book store there. In fact, we ended with a fun serendipity going there with the Bartons--that will be another blog.
After that we did our grocery shopping...so we were back home by 8pm.
I cooked a pizza for supper, then I finished up some more washing and hanging clothes, then was starting to make the dessert that I was to take to Sunday dinner with the Allreds.
At 10:17, I was just putting the "mold" together for the box cheesecake, when Walt comes out and says with a sheepish grin:
"I just rewrote my talk."
"Okay, you finish whipping up this dessert and I'll go type it," I replied.
"No, it's too late and I don't think you can read it," he said.
He was right on both counts... but I finished it at 11:14 with a lot of half typed words or outright blank lines for him to fill in.
By midnight I had his second draft typed, with a lot of revisions added, and whole paragraphs taken out. (He's working on it now and I have 57 minutes to shower and be ready to leave.)
I'll report later today how his talk comes out.
"I'm sick," he just came in and told me, adding, "I don't think I can go to Church today."
Don't be alarmed. This is what I've heard for 48 years before every talk he's scheduled to give.

1 comment:

Nat said...

hope it goes well. you are a good team. thanks for the example of a great marriage and faithful living.