Hey James, hope all is well with you and your family.
As I was studying this morning I felt impressed to share the story of Derick in priest quorum that fateful Sunday many months ago with you.
I only teach the priest quorum once a month on the 3rd Sunday. I typically look over the topic for the month on fast Sunday and and seek insperation on what specific lesson I want to teach that month. As I was following this pattern on this particular month I was not getting a specific lesson or topic. After looking over the different subjects several times I decided on one and read through it. Usually as I read through the lesson the outline for the lesson comes to me but as I read through it I got nothing. I went back to the monthly topics page and immediately another subject caught my eye so I read through that one. As I read through that lesson the outline came to me easily and freely.
Come the 3rd Sunday I was ready and eager to give the lesson. As you may know at the end of each lesson in Come Follow Me is the invite to act section. The person conducting is asked to share their testimony of the things taught that day and invite other quorum members to act on a specific challenge. I think this is the most important part of the lesson and each time I teach will print that out and give it to the person conducting before class started. I always make sure to end my lesson before the end of class so as to give this person time. The 1st assistant was the person who conducted almost every week but that was not Derrick. Coincidence? I think not that the 1st assistant was not there that week so the responsibility of conducting fell to Derrick.
Things didn't start out as I had hoped or was anticipating. Opening exercises went long as they sometimes do, probably all the scouting announcements. Then in quorum they when on to spend the next 20 minutes on their own upcoming activities. I was a little disappointed because I thought I had an inspired lesson to share. With less then 5 minutes until church ended I was finely giving the time to teach.
All I did was introduce the topic and turned the time over to Darrick. The topic was testimony and in the share section the person conducting was to share their testimony and give the other quorum members a challenge having to do with testimony. Darrick went on for the next 7 minutes sharing his powerful testimony and some things that had help strengthen it along the way, often becoming chocked up with emotion. The room was quite and the spirit strong as several other young man went on to share their testimonies too. It was now 17 past the time church ended but know one wanted to leave.
After wiping away some tears Darrick assigned himself to say the closing prayer and asked if we could all kneel while we prayed, a tradition that continues to this day in the priest quorum. After the prayer I immediately got up and went over and gave Derrick and the other boys a hug and told them I love them and thanks for sharing because that was way better then any lesson I could have given.
Derrick doesn't remember the lesson I gave that day because I didn't give one, he was the lesson and that is what he remembers.
Thanks for raising such a good kid.
Your Friend,
Matthew Needham
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