The Best Part of the Week

By Shanna D’Avila

(Based on a true story)

Go to church alone? Maybe Jenny would give it a try.

“I always have a happy feeling when I go to church” (Children’s Songbook, 157).

“Whew!” Jenny fell back onto the chair and looked at the boxes around her. Moving to a new house was a lot of work! But it was kind of exciting too.

She could see her new neighborhood through the window, including a steeple that poked up from above the houses nearby. Jenny’s family didn’t go to church very often, but now there was a church building right down the street.

Maybe now we’ll go to church more, Jenny thought.

When Sunday came around, Jenny and her family went to their new ward for the first time. In Primary, Jenny saw a girl she had met in school that week.

“Hi, Karen,” Jenny said, feeling a little shy.

“Jenny!” said Karen. “I didn’t know you were in my ward.”

“We moved into a house down the street,” Jenny said.

Karen asked Jenny to sit by her. Jenny was glad to have a friend at church.

The next Sunday, Jenny woke up and put on her favorite dress. She combed her hair and ate breakfast as fast as she could. She was excited to go to her new ward again. But then she saw that the rest of her family were still in their pajamas.

“Aren’t we going to church?” she asked Dad.

“No, not today,” Dad said. “We got a bit of a late start. We’ll try to go next week.”

Jenny was used to missing church, but this time felt worse than usual. She wouldn’t get to go to Primary or see Karen.

At school on Monday, Karen and Jenny were talking about their weekends. “I missed you at church yesterday,” Karen said. “Were you sick?”

Jenny’s cheeks turned red. “No,” she said. “I wanted to go, but my family didn’t.”

“Oh. Well, if you ever want to come to church and your family isn’t coming, you can sit by my family.”

Jenny smiled. “Thanks.”

The next Sunday, Jenny’s family went to church. But the Sunday after that they didn’t want to go. Jenny thought about what Karen had said and decided to give it a try.

So after her parents said it was OK, Jenny walked to the chapel. Her heart was beating fast as she looked inside. Then she saw Karen waving to her.

“I’m glad you came!” Karen whispered, scooting over to make room on the bench.

It feels good to be here, Jenny thought.

From then on, Jenny started going to church every week, even when her family didn’t. Pretty soon going to church was the best part of her week!

And Jenny started feeling different during the week too. She felt happier, and she was nicer to her brother and sisters. It was easier to stop watching videos or to change the channel when something bad came on.

One Sunday morning when Jenny came out of her room, the rest of her family were dressed in church clothes.

“We thought we’d come with you today,” Dad said.

Jenny liked being a good example. Her family didn’t go to church every Sunday after that, but they did start going more and more often. And that made church even better.

CTR Challenge

“I will do those things on the Sabbath that will help me feel close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ” (My Gospel Standards).

This Sunday, try extra hard to fill your day with holy, happy activities.
Listen during the sacrament prayers and think about what is being said.
Write your feelings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in a journal.
I challenge myself to …