i was attending my parents' ward in boise today and their high counselor spoke. he was my wife's parents' bishop when they lived in boise. he shared a very touching story today that i quite enjoyed.
in a small town in utah, many years ago, there were two communities. one community was 'the mormons' and the other was 'the gentiles' who were not members of the church. unfortunately there was animosity between the mormons and the gentiles. one mormon young woman fell in love with a gentile young man. the young woman was ostracized from the mormon community after marrying the gentile. soon, she gave birth to a baby. the mormon relief society president decided to help the young woman with her baby. she began to organize the other women in the relief society, but one after one declined to offer service to the mother and the baby. so the relief society president resolved to help the young mother and baby by herself.
day after day, she walked over to the home and bathed and fed the baby while the mother recovered. after a while, the relief society president became sick herself and she could barely get out of bed to make the walk to the mother and baby's home. but she knew no one else would go over to care for the baby and so she gathered all her strength to get out of bed and go over. she was granted the strength to carry out the service. when she arrived back at her home, she collapsed in her big chair and fell asleep.
in her dreams, she was enveloped in fire and was then again bathing the baby. she soon found herself thinking and desiring after bathing the baby jesus. and as she was pondering this thought and desire, the words came to her, 'inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ... ye have done it unto me.'
