Faithful Service

Over the past week, I have spent quite a bit of time looking through minutes and reports of the 9th Ward. As I did so, I noticed the signatures at the bottom of many of the pages, but didn't think much of them. I was more interested in the content of the minutes. Tonight, they caught my attention and got me thinking.

Don L. Aamodt was called to be the first Ward Clerk of the Bountiful 9th Ward. We know much of what we know about the early history of the ward because he faithfully fulfilled his calling.

I visited FamilySearch in search of information, or perhaps a photograph, for Don Aamodt. In doing so, I learned a little bit more about the history of the 3rd and 9th Ward. In a short life sketch, he wrote, "After having worked with the Boy Scout program for 10 years from 1939 to 1950, I was called to be the Ward Clerk in the Bountiful 3rd Ward by Bishop Stanley Pitt; first as financial clerk, and later as membership clerk. The year end reports due at the Presiding Bishop's office soon after the first of each year. The whole Bishopric would come to my house to complete these E reports which would take until the early morning hours."

When one steps back and looks beyond the words, one notices the carefully and succinct typed pages. And we take it for granted. We seldom think about the time and effort it took to capture that history and make sure that it was preserved.

In his short history, Don Aamodt adds some insight to our understanding of the building fund dinners and construction of the 9th/18th Ward chapel.

"Later, I was called to be a counselor to Bishop Lamb in the 9th Ward. In order to raise our ward's share of the building cost, we held building fund dinners and charged each family $10. We did this for 6 years. Ward members worked on the  building and were given credit towards the ward's share of the cost."

The signatures at the bottom of the minutes of the 9th Ward are ubiquitous. The clerk typed the minutes, the bishop signed them. It makes one think of the scripture that "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."

It also reminds us that the Church works because people show up. They teach in nursery, they drop off a load of firewood before a fathers and sons outing, they create a monthly newsletter, they keep minutes, type them up, get the bishop's signature, and send them in to Salt Lake City.