A sacrament meeting moment

Several weeks ago one of our high councilmen spoke on the importance of the sacrament meeting. It reminded me a lot of the talk I gave at stake conference, and I kept thinking he did a much better job.

The Lord has blessed us with this beautiful world to live in where it is so easy to get caught up in the pleasures and fun that it offers. In exchange all He has asked is that we give back to Him one day. In fact He has blessed us with that one day where we don't need to think about those things that compete for our attention and time during the week. It's a day where we can set aside our worries and fears and stresses. I love that God has said, "Here, let me give you one day where you don't need to worry about the cares of this world. Take a day off and let your spirit and body rest."

During that one day He has then asked us to spend just three hours meeting, worshiping, and learning together to strengthen and unite our spirits. 

And during those three hours, He has asked that for one hour and 10 minutes we give our entire thoughts and feelings to Him. One hour and 10 minutes out of 168 where we concentrate, consecrate, and covenant with Him.

It's not really much to ask is it?

Yet, one of the hardest things our Father in Heaven had to do was to give us agency. We get to choose how we spend that day, those few hours, and ultimately our final destination in the eternities.

That final interview won't be so much a matter of opening the books and God telling us, "Well, it looks like you get to go here." No, we get that final opportunity to choose where we would like to go . . . telestial, terrestial, celestial, exaltation. And I suspect we'll choose where we feel most comfortable.

It just might be playing Angry Birds or answering that phone call during a worship service instead of concentrating on the one being who has given us everything.

True story. Today during sacrament meeting I sat in front of someone who actually answered her cell phone and carried on a 30 second conversation out loud during one of the talks. 

"So, the kids are at the house?"

"I'm in church right now."

"Ya, I'm actually in sacrament meeting."

"We'll be home in a little while." 

For the record I have never seen the couple behind me. I don't know if they were visiting, new to our ward, or what. And apparently she is not text savvy or that would have certainly have been the method for conversing.