Mirthright

Repentance was the topic of our family home evening lesson. As I was explaining to our children the meaning of repentance, I noted that true repentance included not doing again the thing we had repented of. I said, “If we went back and did the same naughty thing again, it would not be repentance; it would be … well, pretending to be sorry.” Our eight-year-old daughter spoke up and said, “That would be pretendance, wouldn’t it, Mom?”

Marjorie M. Smith
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Recently we received a letter from my brother, who has been serving in the Netherlands as a missionary for the past 18 months. In appreciation for receiving his regular monthly check, he wrote the following: “Thanks for the money, Dad—just remember, only six more payments, and I’m all yours!”

Gayla Anderson
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

Laurie Kaye was angry. In the bedroom, drawers were banged and the toy box door was slammed. Mrs. McGregor went to the door to see what was going on. Laurie Kaye had her toys and clothes packed in a small suitcase and paper bag. “What are you doing?” asked her mother. “I’m running away from home,” responded Laurie Kaye. Then with a thoughtful look at her mother, she said, “But I’ll be back for home evening.”

Mrs. Bert Twitchell
Enterprise, Utah

Just after we were married, my husband was attempting, without much success, to bite into some very hard homemade rolls I’d lovingly baked. Finally, he smiled at me with feigned enthusiasm. “Honey,” he said brightly, “you’re a real wonder. Why, you’ve almost succeeded in turning these stones into bread!”

Celestia O. Whitehead
Moscow, Idaho

My husband’s barber laughingly related this story to us: Several years ago when his parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, the children honored them at an open house. During the festivities, a woman asked him where he fit into the family line. He proudly replied, “I’m number ten.” She smiled and asked, “And they didn’t give you away for tithing?”

Joyce Johnson
Huntsville, Utah

While discussing baptism with my Sunday School class of eight-year-olds, we defined words like immersion, confirmation, and accountability. I asked if anyone in the class knew the meaning of the word remission. One eight-year-old boy, Randy, offered the explanation, “That’s when missionaries go teach the gospel.”

“Well,” I replied, “that’s a mission. But what is remission?”

Very sure that he finally had the right answer, he said, “Oh, well, then, that is when you go again!”

Sandi Caron
Reedley, California

I had been discussing the celestial kingdom with our three-year-old son during the day. Later, when his father returned from work, he proudly announced, “Dad, I’m going to the ‘special kingdom!’”

Rae Heiner
Bow, Washington

When I told three-year-old Beth that we were having the elders for supper, she innocently asked, “Can I have one?”

Ronald Squibb
Boone, Iowa