Tuesday, September 27, 2011

As Assigned

"Good morning, brothers and sisters. I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today, and I feel like this topic is one I really needed to work on because I have learned so much while preparing," she flicked her hair behind her shoulders. "Today I will be speaking on..."

She kept talking. I was absorbed with the strictness with which every ounce of her being adhered to the typical Mormon girl standard. Blond hair fell in loopy curls just past her shoulders as she glanced across the room with round, eager eyes. Every word came out with a smile, her gently glossed lips pursing together at pauses after scriptures and rhetorical questions.

She wore a gray Downeast cami with bunched up flower blossoms trailing down her shoulders and meeting at the V of the neck. A white undershirt peeked out from underneath and extended down onto her flowery, pleated skirt. The skirt swayed slightly as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, tucking notes behind the three Ensigns she was referencing on the podium. Her slender white legs stood balanced atop two-inch heels, another flower balanced on the toe box.

She turned pages in a worn Book of Mormon, her bishop's testimony scribbled on the front cover from when she was baptized. Colored bookmarks and crafted glue-ins stuck out from various pages until she reached her desired verse.

She began reading, brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

The testimony which followed was pure, heart-felt and inspirational. What teachings about the gospel had I missed while judging too much her outward appearance?

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