Wednesday, January 12, 2011

One week when I was visiting the Park City ward I witnesses one of the sweetest acts of charity that I have ever seen. Kent was a handicapped fellow who would come to Church every week and sit on the front row, right square in the middle of the row. Every week he would walk to the front of the chapel and sit in the same place. One week when there were more visitors than members the entire front row was filled by visitors who had no idea of Kent's routine well before the meeting started. Kent showed up as usual, walked to the front  as usual and saw that his "spot" was taken and worse there were no other seats on the front row. kent did not know what to do.  He began to pace, back and forth right in front of the stand. Everyone in the congregation saw him. The brother who was trying to conduct saw him. Everyone was uncomfortable and no one seemed to know what to do.  He just paced back and forth, back and forth and kind of groaned as he did it. Deanne stood up from somewhere in the back, walked to the front of the chapel, put an arm around Kent (who, by he way was probably about 50 years old) and quietly asked someone on the front row to go to another seat and then sat Kent reverently in his spot. What had been anxiety and concern was immediately replaced with warmth and calm  I will never forget it. It was one of the kindest, sweetest most tender acts of Christianity I have ever witnessed. She was a wonderful woman of enormous character and with enormous compassion.

Paul H.

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