So, funny story... Elder Nelson and I have kind of developed this goofball relationship which I love, but sometimes in our goofiness, we do really dumb things. We were practicing for the beginning of our show called "Just Plain Anna Amanda," which is for the little children that come to Nauvoo with their parents. They just love it!!! Anyway, during part of the opening act, everyone gets up and sings "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Because we were just watching as the audience at the time, we participated. We do it three times, each time faster than the next. I decided that, rather than touch my own head, shoulders, knees, and toes, I would touch Elder Nelson's. He was confused for a second, but then caught on and started doing the same on me. It looked ridiculous. It was working great the first two times (although, trying to do the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose is both confusing and dangerous), but the third one -- the lightning fast version -- we got to "Head, Shoulders, Kn...." at which point we bashed heads and fell to the floor in a heap. We were both laughing so hard. I had a goose egg for the rest of the day.
Being a young performing missionary in Nauvoo is so different from anything I've done before. I went on a full-time two-year proselyting mission for the Church in West Virginia not too long ago. That's the typical missionary you think of...white shirts and ties, walking down the street, stopping everyone they meet, handing out cards, knocking on doors, teaching lessons in homes. That is how we taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here, I'm in suspenders and floppy hats, pretending to be some character, saying all kinds of lines in a musical production. I don't go looking for people to teach...in fact, I don't have many opportunities to even bear my own testimony of the truthfulness of the message of the restoration of the one completely true and living Church on the earth in any normal way you might face to face with someone. They come find me, and get to know me as my character, and will probably never speak to me. So how do I testify of Jesus Christ while I'm singing and dancing about the Maid of Iowa sailing down the Mississippi?
There is a scripture in Mosiah that teaches that in order for a people to preach the word of God, there must be no contention among the people, that they might see with one and one faith, that their hearts might be knit together as one... and then they may preach... and then they may be children of God. I was thinking about what it meant to "become a child of God," seeing as we already are His children. Then I remembered that today, after we had practiced "Sunset By the Mississippi," I was stopped by an Elder and Sister Harding, who wanted to know if I was a Partridge. When I affirmed their suspicions, they told me how during the entire rehearsal, they just kept looking at me and thinking "That HAS to be a Partridge!" because I look so much like my dad and grandpa. Turns out, Elder Harding was my dad's bishop when he was young!
I think "becoming a child of God" means being immediately recognizable as one. If, with righteous desires, we have our heart knit together as one, we will look like Him. We will give off His same glow, and we will be undeniably recognizable as children of God by any and all who see us. I believe this is the way we bear our testimonies as young performing missionaries. Everyone's eyes will be looking upon us... it must be absolutely clear that they see proof of a Heavenly Father when they do.
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