Dad's Last Class

Today was Dad’s last official class as a CES teacher. I know because I was there. Yesterday Brett and I were skiing when he mentioned that Dad would be teaching his last class. We both felt that we wanted to be there. Dad’s teaching of the gospel has shaped our family, and dad freely shares his experiences as a teacher. We have grown up with a great appreciation for the fact that Dad had lots of choices for his career and he chose to spend his life teaching the gospel to young people. I don’t think there is a more noble calling. So Brett and I called my legal assistant, Lindsay, and got a flight from Boise to Salt lake City the next morning. We drove to Emmett, caught 5 hours sleep and flew in to SLC where mom picked us up, unknown to Dad. We stopped for some bakery treats and then right before Dad’s class started we walked into the classroom.
At first dad looked concerned, and then confused. We cheerfully told him that we wanted to be there for his last class and he was very touched. The lesson was about the resurrection. The class started by singing “He Is Risen”, which I can never finish because I am always too overcome with the spirit of confirmation about the reality of the resurrection. Dad then showed some of his slides from Israel, and He described the pain of the crucifixion and asked the class to put themselves in the role of the early Christians, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Peter, John. He recounted the events between the crucifixion and the resurrection and as he did so everyone in the room was transported to the places of those miraculous days – the garden tomb, the road to Emmaus, the room with the apostles. Every student in the class was listening intently and the spirit of the lord opened our understanding of the scriptures and we felt joy and hope in the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Dad finished by expressing his love for the class and bearing a sweet and sincere testimony of the Gospel and of the divinity of the Savior.
I was moved and uplifted, and wished I could have taken the whole course. After the closing prayer, Dad visited with his students, many of whom had not realized that they had become participants in the conclusion of a long and successful teaching career. I was impressed with how easily Dad was able to relate to and interact with his students, and with how much they respected him. I later reflected that it was a shame that more students would not be able to experience what I did that day – a brief yet beautiful glimpse into the eternal, and a confirmation from the Lord about the truth. Dad once taught me that it is not so much what the students learn in their heads that makes a difference, but how they feel in their hearts.
The good news is that even though Dad will no longer be teaching full time classes, he will continue with the legacy of doing good in the world as he begins a new stage of life. He will have the freedom to choose how to create the capstone to such a life well lived.
After class we took mom and dad to a seafood restaurant for lunch and Mom, Dad and Brett all had raw oysters on the half shell for the first time. They are kind of slimy and fishy and you put a little Tabasco and lemon juice on them and just slurp them down the hatch. Mom and Dad bravely met the challenge, and I think it was symbolic of going forward with new adventures and challenges as they begin a new stage of life. For those of you who have not yet tried raw oysters on the half shell, I urge you not to wait until retirement. If you come visit us I will take you to a place where we can shuck and eat them right on the beach. Congratulations Dad, on a great teaching career and on the new adventures to come!