Arriving home- a perilous journey

[Gatorbait]

Some years back, I sat in the congregation of a typical Priesthood meeting in a ward house. After the announcements and opening comments from a member of the bishopric, a young man, a boy really, a deacon, rose, approached the podium (we were in the chapel at the time), folded his arms, bowed his head, closed his eyes, then spoke into the microphone.

"Heavenly Father.....pause.....in the name of Jesus Christ, A"....another pause...."help us go home safely when the time comes"... and finished the "Amen."

The boy took his seat, and the suppressed laughter in the congregation, mostly the young men there began. Not being able to suppress my laughter, I started laughing, covering my mouth as I tried to force something unfunny into my mind. The boys on the stand started laughing as well, trying to suppress it, the ones who were obligated to sit there because they were the presiding members of their quorums, but they couldn't stop- try as they might. It was funny. I'm smiling now as I think of that moment.

The irony of the thing is this: the boy just about offered an "empty" prayer, a beginning, an ending, and nothing in between- but he caught himself, and uttered the one thing that popped into his mind- the perilous journey home. Goodness sakes....almost forgot.

How is it, that Mormons- and I suppose this could be world wide, but I'm not sure- feel that they need to ask God for a safe journey home from church? Has something happened long ago that made this such an important part of a Mormon prayer? It must be working I suppose, as in all my years, I've yet to see anyone get hurt returning home from church.

[Give It Time]

Personally, I'm glad all ended well. I thought he was terminally ill.