A long time ago, when I served on the High Council, I was assigned to Home Teach Kent Smith and his family. I loved that family!
Kent and Sally’s oldest son was named Joseph Brett Smith. And boy was he ever a cut-up; actually borderline rebellious. This was back when boys hadn’t yet begun to dye their hair or wear make-up. But Brett did. See, that’s what we all called him; Brett. I think this was so we wouldn’t make mundane use of such a sacred name as Joseph. As you can imagine, Kent was about to pull his own hair out (what he had left) over the antics of this hoped for heir.
One day Brett showed up to church sporting a four inch Mohawk, dyed purple with highlights of pink. The kids thought it was really cool, and their parents feared and trembled that this might be an example for their own. Actually, although the other kids thought Brett looked neat in this hair-do with somewhat matching attire, it never really caught on. So, Brett continued to stand out all alone like a zit on the end of a nose. But Brett was OK with his new look and the increased attention to himself, and it didn’t go away any time soon.
One Sunday, at early morning High Council meeting, just as we were getting into the heavy stuff of whether to have beef or pork at the coming HP banquet, there came a knock on the door of the HC room. The arrangements of the room were such that the door was down a short hallway out of sight from the main room, so when first Counselor Jack Diamond went to see who was there, at the request of President Mills, he was out of sight to the group sitting around the table. But not out of hearing. After we heard him open the door, there was about fifteen seconds of total silence. Then we heard this exchange:
“Can I help you?”
“Hi – I’m Joseph Smith, and I’ve been sent with a message from Bishop Stokes.”
After another 10 second pause;
“Sure you are! And I’m the pope.”
“Gowan kid, don’t you know there’s a meeting going on in here?”
With this the door shut a little harder than usual.
President Diamond came walking back in with the weirdest look on his face.
“You should have seen what I just saw!”
Then it dawned on me – and only me – as to what just happened. By this time a knock came again on the door. President Diamond jumped to his feet and said, “I’ll take care of this.”
There stood Joseph again holding out his hand with a note, “Really! My name is Joseph Smith, and I have this message I’m suppose to give you from Bishop Stokes.”
This time President Diamond said, his words dripping with sarcasm, “Won’t you please come in and give your message to President Mills.”
In walks, and there stands Joseph Brett Smith in all his glory of a four inch Mohawk, dyed purple with pink highlights.
He was, however, dressed in a very fine looking suit. I’m sure Kent would have been proud.
Keith
PS This Gospel of Jesus Christ can cause us to have wonderful associations.