Steve again agrees to go with me to the Deaf ward. Several people who want to know if we have decided to attend this ward on a regular basis warmly greet us. Of course my answer is “yes” and “I hope”. I chat briefly with Pat Walker and we agree that attending this ward would be so much better for Steve and me.
Today is their ward conference so the ward’s bishop and the Stake President deliver the messages. Bishop Flygare, whom you can see signing several hymns on the LDS ASL DVD of Selected Hymns, delivers a Spiritual message about showing love to our neighbors, reaching out to find the one lost sheep, and bringing him back into the fold. After his message he signs a hymn, which also touches me deeply.
The Stake President is hearing and it soon becomes clear that he is uneducated on the world of the Deaf. Towards the beginning of his message he says (this is not an exact quote) “We all have challenges in this life. You have the additional challenge of being without the great gift of sound, but you do have the great gift of showing love to others.” I feel the Spirit leave me at this moment. I agree 1000% that these people have a great gift of showing love since they have expressed love to me in spite of my lousy signing. But as for being without sound? At the same time he is delivering this message, the kids behind me are being very noisy and distracting. I am thinking that sound is not such a great gift right now. I am also wondering how this Deaf Community is receiving his message.
Fortunately the Spirit comes back to me during Sunday School class. Richard is teaching the lesson on “Eternally Indebted to Your Heavenly Father“. This lesson includes the story in the Book of Mormon about King Benjamin’s great message to his people. In one part of the lesson, the question is asked, “What did King Benjamin do when he observed that not all the people could hear his words?” He erected a tower so that his voice would be projected further out into the great multitude. But there were still people too far away to hear him. So he had someone write his message and then pass it around to the people who could not hear. King Benjamin knew his message was so important that he made sure every person would receive it. Richard tells us he is standing on a small “tower” (a bench) so that the people in back of the chapel can see his signs. Perhaps delivering the message would have been easier for King Benjamin if everyone had known Sign Language.
I observe that the people in the Deaf ward know the importance of helping everyone in attendance understand their messages. Spoken messages are always interpreted in Sign Language. If they believe someone does not understand Sign, they do not hesitate to provide a voice interpreter. I was greatly disheartened when our ASL teacher told me that someone in her ward asked, “Is it necessary to provide an interpreter for Steve?” She answered, “Well, he is an Elder.”
Steve said that he enjoyed today’s meeting and I believe and hope that this means regular attendance in the Deaf ward for both of us.
Filed under: Deaf in a Hearing Church
