Prophet's birthday gift: Do something for others
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Editor's note: The story below was published in 2009. President Monson's 83rd birthday is Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010. In 2008, the Church News asked him to describe the ideal birthday gift. He said, "Do something for someone else on that day to make his or her life better. Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely and do something for them. That's all I would ask."
The Church News would like to hear about services efforts done this year as a "birthday gift" for Pres. Monson. Please email your reports and photos to: churchnews@desnews.com.
President Thomas S. Monson observed his 82nd birthday on Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, which was the first day for dedicating the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple.
Last year, the Church News asked him to describe the ideal birthday gift. He said, "Do something for someone else on that day to make his or her life better. Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely and do something for them. That's all I would ask."
In response to that request, the Church News asked readers to give President Monson the gift of service to another and then report it to us. In the issue of Aug. 15, we published some of the service Church members have given during the past year. Following are highlights of more service members have performed, many on President Monson's birthday.
One man asked his children to think of ways to serve their neighbors for President Monson's birthday. After some consideration, one of his daughters thought it would be fun to bake cookies for some families in the neighborhood. "The week leading to the day we were planning on making the delivery of the cookies had been particularly busy at my work," he wrote. "I was getting home late and was unable to take care of some of the basic home needs including mowing my lawn that was getting quite tall. As I arrived home on the day we were planning on delivering the cookies, the kitchen was busy with all four of my children and my wife baking. Upon completion, we delivered the goodies to all 10 families, which took two hours as we had short visits with each neighbor. We had a great time.
"The next day was Saturday and I had to work. When I got home that evening, my neglected lawn had been mowed and cared for. I knew that my wife, who was pregnant, was gone that day and would not have been able to do it. I then realized that I was the recipient of the service that was rendered on behalf of President Monson. I had never thought that I would be on the other end of the giving that was done for his birthday. It is a day I will never forget.
"Thank you President Monson, your gift did more than I had planned for."
Jaimee and Scott Sims and their children, Alex, 8, Analeigh, 5, (they also have a 10-month-old baby, Abigail) of the Rivanna Ward, Waynesboro Virginia Stake, made Amish Friendship Bread and delivered it to their elderly neighbors. "They seemed truly grateful," said Sister Sims. "My kids delivered the loaves all by themselves and the widow next door kept them for quite a while, chatting with them and showing them things. We loved this idea."
The Primary children in the Coquille Ward, Coos Bay Oregon Stake, sang for the seniors at the Community Building in Coquille, Ore. "The Valiant girls made rose buds out of candy kisses for the children to give each senior after they sang," wrote Primary President Linda Davis. "The seniors were very pleased and one of them said: 'Those sweet children give us hope.' This was a great experience for the primary children. Thank you President Monson."
Jenny Farley, seminary teacher for the senior class at Liberty High School, Peoria, Ariz., wrote that her students honored President Monson with many acts of service, which included: visiting an elderly couple in the ward; helping fix a flat tire, doing missionary work by talking about seminary with a swim team member, giving a ride home to several classmates, eating lunch with a classmate who didn't seem to have many friends, inviting a less active friend to attend seminary, being a good listener to a friend who is struggling with many things, comforting someone who was having a bad day baby sitting for a sister to attend an adult session of stake conference, taking family home evening treats to a family in the ward whose son had been in the hospital, giving a Book of Mormon to a non-member, complete with a personally written testimony and taking younger brothers to their practices so their parents could relax after work.
"Since everyone gave a 'Gift of Service,' we decided to celebrate by having a birthday party for President Monson on his actual birthday," Sister Farley wrote. "We knew that President Monson would want us to make the most of the party, so we decided to do some service then as well. On Fridays, we are required to take down the tables and chairs so the building will be ready for the Sunday. So, our class snuck into the two freshmen classes while they were in the cultural hall ... and we put away all of their tables and chairs as our final act of service. We left a birthday card for each class saying that we did that service in behalf of President Monson."
Another member of the Church took a single sister in her ward to lunch. "She is lonely and doesn't get to go out very often. When you talk with her you can't help but smile because she is so fun to be around. Taking her to lunch was also a blessing for me because I recently got married and moved away from my family. I also have been lonely and needed interaction with her."
Two Church members read of President Monson's birthday wish last August. In the ensuing months, they helped an elderly member of their ward by cleaning the roof of her home, clearing the rain gutters and putting up her exterior Christmas lights. Then they picked oranges from her trees. "It was not only a time to help do service, but also a time for us to socialize with a ward member," one wrote to the Church News.
Travus Lemon, 11, took dinner to two neighbor children who were home alone at dinner time, as their parents were at a doctor's appointment. His sister Claire, 8, made a meal for another family, whose mother was out of town caring for aging parents. Their brother, Grant, 5, chose to make a card for an elderly widower in his ward. "He also went to his home and shared his new reading skills because he just 'knew it would make Brother Facer happy.' Also, he bought some sugar-free candy to give to him, as he is a diabetic, said Tami Lemon.
Another Church member took dinner to a neighbor whose wife had recently died. "We live across the street and had not had a good chance to really get to know each other but were able to take him some dinner the other night and had a very nice chat and now are scheduling to do dinner together on a regular basis."
Primary children in the San Clemente 4th Ward, gave many "gifts of service" to President Monson, including: helping wash and juice vegetables, sharing a snack with a friend, clearing the kitchen table, baby sitting to give parents a break, helping clean the house, sharing jellybeans, teaching a sister to surf, giving movers raisins and drinks, making dinner and doing the dishes, washing the family's car and simply "loving others."
