Grin and bear it

Back in January Annalee saw the people in our ward going up one at a time to share their testimonies. She asked Daddy if she could do it too. (Mommy was home sick.) Unsure of what she would say, Daddy said she could do it another time.

Thereafter, we started sharing our testimonies in Family Home Evening. It was a chance for us to share our testimonies with Annalee; to tell her what we believe and why we believe it. It was also a chance for her to practice speaking in front of people and to learn what a testimony is. (This is what the First Presidency has to say about children bearing their testimonies.) We got an old microphone and passed it around. If Daddy taught a lesson on temples then at the end of the lesson he would bear his testimony about temples, then Mommy would, and then Annalee would. It went well for several weeks.

In February we were sitting in Fast and Testimony meeting when Annalee suddenly stood up and walked toward the front. Startled, I stood up and followed her. She stepped on the step-stool, pulled the microphone as low as it would go, took a deep breath, and said "okay" into the microphone. Her little voice was so high, everyone laughed warmly. I stood a few feet away from her, supremely nervous, praying she wasn't about to bear her testimony about Dora the Explorer or potty training. She said,

"I like to bear my testimony. The Holy Ghost talks to us in our heads [points] and our hearts [points]." Long pause. I was so tempted to rescue her and help her end it, but I held my ground. "The Holy Ghost talks to us in our hearts . . . and the whole wide world." Really long pause. "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." And then she marched back to Daddy. I went to the stand to share my own testimony, but I had to wait for my throat to unclench first. There were tears on my cheeks and I was so proud. You know how you wonder if they are listening to anything you say? Now we know she is.

It would be perfect for the story to end here, but it doesn't. In March she bore her testimony again, similar to the first time. In April we had Vander's baby blessing. Lots of friends and family attended. Annalee stood up to bear her testimony again. This time, Daddy went up with her.

"I like to bear my testimony. The Holy Ghost . . . and Jesus . . . and if you're not good they SPANK your bum!" Just in case anyone in the audience couldn't understand her, she illustrated her testimony with a hard spank to her own behind. I was horrified, frozen. Nathan was too, apparently, because he didn't yank her from the microphone. My face turned bright red as my entire family turned around to see my reaction. I bent over and buried my face in my hands, praying "step in, Nathan, step in Nathan!" She started talking again. I held out some hope that the experience could be salvaged.

"And the whole wide wo-orld. And the God would help us, and they SPANK your bum!" Another demonstration. I was ready to kill Nathan, if I didn't die of embarassment first. Now, all the parents of young children were turning around to smirk at me because they knew exactly what was going on. "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." And then Nathan carried her back to our seats, a long march of mortification.

I escaped soon after that on the pretense of feeding the baby. Oh, that room was warm! I was surprised when several elderly friends came up to us later to tell us sincerely how sweet my daughter's testimony was. I guess not everyone can understand her high little voice, even with the body language. We decided after that that it was time to do a little more practicing at home before we let her take the stand again.

Today it was fast and testimony meeting again. Annalee asked to go up and share her testimony. I told her, "sure!" and then told Nathan he would get to take her. He started laughing, but had a death grip on Vander, telling me no-way-in-heck was he going, it was my turn. My face was red again, and I couldn't stop giggling, remembering what had happened last time. "I can't go," I said, "I can't stop laughing!" We argued back and forth a few more minutes but I knew he had me. So I asked Annalee for a preview, and she told me she was going to bear her testimony about Jesus and the Holy Ghost and the Articles of Faith. Okay. That passed.

We walked up to the front. Annalee took the stand and I sat down a few feet behind her.

"I like to bear my testimony about Jesus and the Holy Ghost and . . ." she turned to look at me. "What else did I say?" I told her. "And the Articles of Faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I was a nervous wreck, so I sat down without saying anything. But if I had shared my testimony it would have been to testify that God answers desperate parents' prayers!