Fun

Recently we asked a missionary what was the most fun thing about serving as Assistant to the President. "Fun?" He said puzzled. "I don't know about fun. The best thing was the spirit I always felt at the office."

It got me to thinking about fun and my definition of fun. Fun to me is teaching a good Institute lesson or having a good class. It's meeting new people interested in the church. It's visiting members and learning about them. It's having prayers answered or reading scriptures and gleaning new nuggets of insight.

For example, in Alma 43:8 I realized the leader stirred up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephities that he might get "great power" over BOTH the Lamanites and the Nephites. How does getting people angry give power to the leader? What does this say about the liberals and conservatives and talk show hosts that create anger or fear that leads to anger? How many liberties have people given up due to fear? How many have they taken away due to anger? This scripture has increased my wariness of leaders that incite anger or fear. Okay, anger and fear are not fun.... back to fun.

Fun is learning new things, seeing new places and new animals. It's admiring God's great beauty. It's solving a thorny problem. It's helping someone who cannot help themselves. It's building friendships and caring about people. It's seeing a familiar face on the streets and greeting them. It's sharing the Gospel and seeing the joy and peace enter their lives.

This mission is a lot of FUN!