Stand Alone

As a 17-year-old, I enlisted in the United States Navy and attended boot camp in San Diego, California.
For the first three weeks, one felt as though the navy were trying to kill rather than train him on how to stay alive.

I shall ever remember the first Sunday at San Diego.
The chief petty officer said to us, "Today everybody goes to church."
We then lined up in formation on the drill ground.
The petty officer shouted, "All of you who are Catholics--you meet in Camp Decatur.
Forward, march!
And don't come back until three!"
A large number marched out.
He then said, "All of you who are of the Jewish faith--you meet in Camp Henry.
Forward, march!
And don't come back until three!"
A smaller contingent moved out.
Then he said, "The rest of you Protestants meet in the theaters in Camp Farragut.
Forward, march!
And don't come back until three o'clock!"

There flashed through my mind the thought, Monson, you're not Catholic.
You're not Jewish.
You're not a Protestant.
I elected to stand fast.
It seemed as though hundreds of men marched by me.
Then I heard the sweetest words which the petty officer ever uttered in my presence.
He said, "And what do you men call yourselves?"
He used the plural--men.
This was the first time I knew that anyone else was standing behind me on that drill ground.
In unison we said, "We're Mormons."
He scratched his head, an expression of puzzlement on his face, and said, "Well, go and find somewhere to meet--and don't come back until three o'clock."
We marched away.
One could almost count cadence to the rhyme learned in Primary:

Dare to be a Mormon;
Dare to stand alone.
Dare to have a purpose firm,
And dare to make it known.

-Thomas S. Monson -Your Eternal Home -April 2000 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was at work, in an office space, frantically trying to get up to my cubicle on time, but everywhere I went, these group of guys would block me. I had to forgo standing in the coffee line because the guy in front of me was taking forever, had to run up the stairs because the elevator was taking too long, and when I got up stairs finally, I found that my guy coworkers had taken over my station, making it impossible to get my work done, when it was due that day.

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D