ENSIGN PEAK BRANCH

I thought I would explain a bit about the Ensign Peak Branch where we attend Church.  As full-time missionaries in our mission, we are assigned to this branch along with other missionaries serving in the Church History Library, mission office, or the Church Office Building.  The other half of the full-time missionaries who serve in the Family History Library or other related zones attend the City Creek Branch.  Although we have a branch presidency over each one, it is not an official calling but an assignment from the mission president as are all callings in the branch.  So we attend Church with only other senior missionaries.  That makes for a very quiet Sacrament meeting. We meet as I have mentioned before in the beautiful chapel on the mezzanine level of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Jena is clearly the youngest by more than half in age and people love to greet her when we arrive.  

That is background for the following experience:

The Sunday I spoke in Church I sat on the stand which is customary.  In this chapel with social distancing, that means I and the other speaker sat behind the Sacrament table.  The way it is set we actually looked down on to the Sacrament table. Now I love listening to young men bless the Sacrament, especially my own sons.  I really liked it on days when someone messed up and had to resay it because it drew attention to the words in a special way.  But let me say, having senior missionaries--who have traveled a long bit of life's road--bless the Sacrament is also a special privilege and honor.  Their voices treasure the words in ways that teenagers can't yet experience.  That day, sitting so close to the Sacrament table, and being touched by the words of the prayer being uttered by the senior missionaries was a moment that I hope to never forget.  I think the words of the Sacrament prayers are so perfect and masterful--simple yet powerful.  All of those feelings and such gratitude to the Savior, I felt that moment and the memory remains...like sweet memories do...each time I partake of the Sacrament.