Bradley's Testimony

Our Bradley James has the sweetest spirit. He loves church. He loves his Sunday School classes. He loves to sing hymns and to pray. One of his favorite days is Fast and Testimony Sunday. The first Sunday of every month members of the church around the world fast and pray for various reasons. In addition to fasting, our Sacrament meeting is dedicated to the sharing of testimonies. Members of the congregation can voluntarily come up to the pulpit and share their testimonies of the gospel with each other. Anyone is allowed to get up as long as they can give their testimony unaided (meaning small children are allowed, as long as they can do it without their parents' help).

Brad has been bearing his testimony almost every testimony meeting for many months. It always starts out, "Hi, I'm Bradley James Wyett, and I would like to bear my testimony." It is usually brief and for the most part it is the same. However, this past testimony meeting Bradley came to me in the morning and said he wanted to bear his testimony about the scriptures and serving a mission and tithing and a few other things. He decided his list was so long that he should write it down. He ended up writing out a beautiful testimony. He even brought props to put on the pulpit (his scriptures and his wallet). :)

When Sacrament rolled around, he was ready. He likes to be the first one of the congregation to say his testimony. As is customary, whomever is conducting the service on that Sunday has the opportunity to bear his testimony first and then opens it up to everyone else. That day the second counselor in the bishopric, Brother MacClain, was sharing his testimony. Bradley was getting anxious so I told him to go sit in the front pew so he could go straight up to the pulpit when Brother MacClain was done. I watched him walk to the front of the chapel, pass the front pew, walk up the steps to the stand, and sit right in the middle of the Bishop and his first counselor during Brother MacClain's testimony! The Bishop smiled at him and whispered something in Brad's ear. He smiled back and waited patiently until Brother MacClain was done. He then read his testimony and came back to me and sat down. He is so wonderful. I love his confidence and his desire to share what he knows to be true. If only we could all be like that!

September 26, 2010