The Lessons Seem to be Sinking In

Last week our new home teacher, Brother Henrie, came to visit us. From the moment that he arrived to the time he left, Eric and Rubie were anything but reverent. They were jumping on and off the couch--even though that is a well-enforced rule not to--they were yelling and laughing. Chasing each other around the house, wrestling, tickling, being very loud. They were making our visit very difficult. Scott and I tried to entice them to participate appropriately, but to no avail. Rubie even spent some moments in time-out during which we could hear her screaming from her room as though she were right there with us. After Brother Henrie left we had a serious talk with the kids--mostly Eric as Rubie still thought it was wild play time--about how to behave while the home teacher is here. We didn't know how much of that talk actually set in.

A few days later at dinner time Eric asked if he could say the blessing on the food. I offered to help him with the prayer to which he declined. He proceeded to say the most sincere prayer I have yet to hear him offer. He said the prayer correctly, addressing Heavenly Father, thanking Heavenly Father for each of his friends and the things that he could do that day. He then told Heavenly Father that he was sorry for talking so loud and not being reverent when Brother Henrie was at our house. After he closed the prayer, he looked at me and Scott and said something like, "Mom and Dad I really am sorry for talking so loud and not being reverent when Brother Henrie was here." And then he made a silly face and a silly noise and went back to being a three year old boy. But for a moment there was an angel in that little body.