Story told by Sharman - who was the guest on Inklings Institute for the talk “Christlike Poise” by Elder Mark A. Bragg, April 2023, beginning about minute 60.
This version is a transcript to the best of my ability (so phrasing etc is not for the written word!)
As it (The Houston Temple) was being finished my dad was asked to be over the temple open house. So for 3 weeks there is the temple open house. And, I grew up in a place of believing, in that beautiful bible belt, I grew up with followers and disciples of Christ who love the Lord and really built their life to follow Him. And so I say this with a tenderness, but when the open house started, there were dozens and dozens and dozens of protestors who were right on, respectfully, they were right on the boundary of the property line. But they were loud, because they were passionate for Christ and what they believed was true! And so signs and pamphlets, like 1000s of pamphlets they were handing out, and it was, they had a presence, and as my dad was working with all of the volunteers and helping that to be such a positive experience for all who were coming to enter into the temple open house and take the tour, the workers, the volunteers were very very nervous, and really on edge. It was really upsetting to them because, here they were trying to be disciples of Christ, trying to bring light and were so excited about the temple so they were very on edge. And, my dad, was there and would say to all of the volunteers “Give a smile, show kindness, whatever you can do, it’s going to be okay!” Right? Such Christlike poise, such calmness. So my sweet dad, it was hot, Ii mean it’s Houston! It’s humid, it's hot, so my sweet dad, had the thought and impression to take water, take ice cold water. So then he began doing that. He asked volunteers to help him take over water, because they must have been really hot and tired, all of these protestors! And, one day he thought [were kind] of take them sandwiches. And so when he asked temple volunteers to help him take sandwiches, they were like, “Are you crazy? We are not going over there! That’s terrifying! We’re not going over there!” But my dad helped guide them and they took and they gave sandwiches. Well, after many, many days of many sweet stories, I’ll share with you, the last day of the temple open house, the protestors who had become increasingly quiet and quieter and quieter as the days went on, gathered together, put their signs away and came and approached the volunteers that walked to my dad and the volunteers were so nervous! My dad was just the biggest kindest smile, most gentle nature, welcomed them and they said, “Randy, will you please take us through!” And my dad had the blessing of taking all these protestors through the Houston Temple, where they were so respectful and thoughtful and asked such thought provoking questions throughout the temple tour and at the end my dad just cried! There were handshakes and hugs, and love and respect and questions of how can we learn more. It was it is such a powerful example to me when I am in various settings, whether its sporting event that can become heated in the passion of the game, whether it is a board meeting where they can become intense because people have strong feelings and differing opinions, whether its a church calling where people are human and have different impressions or feelings about how things should go, or whether its in a family when people are just hangry and grumpy about how we can imperfectly at times, but if we can follow this example to work to have that calming Christlike poise, instead of escalating we can diffuse, pray that the spirit will speak to everyone’s heart who are involved, I testify that this brings peace and that this is what it is needed to follow President’s Nelson counsel and challenge to us and invitation to us to become peacemakers.
Comments