Excerpt From my Life

The following is an excerpt from a talk by President Monson during the priesthood session of the April 2009 conference:

Several years ago, a marching band from a large high school in Utah had auditioned for and had received one of the coveted entries to march in the Calgary Stampede Parade. Months of fund-raising, early-morning practices up and down the streets, and other preparations were undertaken in order for the band to travel to Calgary and participate in the parade, where one band would be selected to receive the first-place honor.

Finally the day for departure arrived, with the eager students and their leaders boarding the buses and heading north for the long journey to Calgary.

While en route, the caravan stopped in Cardston, Alberta, Canada, where the group remained for an overnight stay. The local Relief Society sisters there prepared sack lunches for the band members to enjoy before departing again. Brad, one of the band members, who was a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, was not hungry and decided to keep his lunch until later.

Brad liked to sit in the back of the bus. As he took his usual seat there in preparation for the remainder of the journey to Calgary, he tossed his sack lunch on the shelf behind the last row of seats. There the lunch sat by the rear window as the July afternoon sun shone through. Unfortunately, the sack lunch contained an egg salad sandwich. For those of you who don’t understand the significance of this, may I just say that egg salad must be refrigerated. If it is not, and if it is subjected to high heat such as that which would be produced by the sun beating through a bus window on a sunny day, it becomes a rather efficient incubator for various strains of bacteria that can result in what may commonly be referred to as food poisoning.

Sometime before arriving in Calgary, Brad grew hungry. Remembering the sack lunch, he gulped down the egg salad sandwich. As the buses arrived in Calgary and drove around the city, the members of the band grew excited—all except for Brad. Unfortunately, all that grew within him were severe stomach pains and other discomforts associated with food poisoning. You know what they are.

Upon arriving at their destination, the band members exited the bus. Brad, however, did not. Although he knew his fellow band members were counting on him to play his drum in the parade the following morning, Brad was doubled over in pain and was too sick to leave the bus. Providentially for him, two of his friends, Steve and Mike, who had recently graduated from high school and who had also recently been ordained to the office of elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood, found that Brad was missing and decided to look for him.

Finding Brad in the rear of the bus and learning what the problem was, Steve and Mike felt helpless. Finally it occurred to them that they were elders and held the power of the Melchizedek Priesthood to bless the sick. Despite their total lack of experience in giving a priesthood blessing, these two new elders had faith in the power they held. They laid their hands on Brad’s head and, invoking the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, in the name of Jesus Christ uttered the simple words to bless Brad to be made well.

From that moment, Brad’s symptoms were completely gone. The next morning he took his place with the rest of the band members and proudly marched down the streets of Calgary. The band received first-place honors and the coveted blue ribbon. Far more important, however, was that two young, inexperienced but worthy priesthood holders had answered the call to represent the Lord in serving their fellow man. When it was necessary for them to exercise their priesthood in behalf of one who was desperately in need of their help, they were able to respond because they lived their lives righteously.

The following is an excerpt from my life:

Last year, the marching band from Timpview high school in Utah had decided to go to California for their annual band tour. Months of hard work, practicing, and other preparations were undertaken in order for the band to travel to California and participate in a marching band competition, where one band would be selected to receive the sweepstakes award.

Finally the day for departure arrived, with the eager students and their leaders boarding the buses and heading west for the long journey to Cali.

While en route, the caravan stopped somewhere in California where the group was set free to go buy lunches in the local fast food restaurants close by. John, one of the band members, who was almost a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood, decided to buy a meatball sandwich from Subway.

In case you were unaware, the very nature of a meatball sandwich is apparently a very good incubator for various strains of bacteria that can result in what may commonly be referred to as food poisoning.

Sometime before arriving at the field where the Timpview band would rehearse, John ate the meatball sandwich. As the buses approached the field, the members of the band grew excited--all except for John. Unfortunately, all that grew within him were severe stomach pains and other discomforts associated with food poisoning. You know what they are.

Upon arriving at their destination, the band members exited the bus, including John. John knew that his fellow band members were counting on him to play his insanely amazing vibraphone part in the performance the following morning, so he needed to rehearse with the band. However, he threw up five times in a garbage can next to the field and sat down instead of rehearsing.

Then the lucky band got to go to the beach. Fortunately, John was feeling a tiny bit better after throwing up, so he curled up on the bus and fell asleep. The next thing he knew, he woke up. On the bus. By himself. Not at the beach. John was lucky in the fact that he had his cell phone with him, so he called his band director who arranged for someone to come fetch him from his lonely bus. Fifteen minutes later, one of the band parents arrived in a truck to give John a ride to the party on the beach.

When John arrived at the beach, however, he was again feeling like dying would be pleasurable. Providentially for him, two of the band parents, Brother Santa Maria and Brother somebody else, (for some reason John cannot recall who the other person was,) noticed that John was not dancing with the rest of the band, but rather doubled up in pain and sitting on the ground.

Finding John on the ground, the two brethren immediately sprung into action. They laid their hands on John's head and, invoking the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, in the name of Jesus Christ uttered the simple words to bless John to be made well.

John still felt terrible, but the next morning his symptoms were completely gone, and he was able to take his place with the rest of the band members and proudly perform in the California Competition. The band received the sweepstakes award and the coveted trophy. Far more important, however, was that two worthy priesthood holders had answered the call to represent the Lord in serving their fellow man. When it was necessary for them to exercise their priesthood in behalf of one who was desperately in need of their help, they were able to respond because they lived their lives righteously.

I just need to say that it is extremely amazing and testimony building to live a conference talk that closely. Sure, my circumstances were a tiny bit different, but most of it was basically the exact same. I look back now and realize what an incredible experience this was, and even though I missed the last rehearsal and threw up and got stranded on the bus and missed the party at the beach, I'm very glad that it happened. I know that the gospel is true and that the power of the priesthood is very real, and I immensely appreciate those elders that lived their lives righteously and in a such a way that they were able to give me a blessing to get well. I know that Joseph smith was a prophet and that he restored the Gospel and the Priesthood to this earth, and I know that President Monson is a prophet today. I say these things in the name of our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ, amen.