Posted on 09/24/2004 10:59:03 AM PDT by sociotard
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary in Utah. In Utah, Seminary classes are held as part of the curriculum. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules.
Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's Seminary class. Steve was told that he couldn't be late, so he would come in just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.
One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Brother Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?" Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."
Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good, Steve." Brother Christianson said, "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Brother Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it." Brother Christianson said.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."
Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Bro. Christianson pulled out a big box of doughnuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of doughnuts. They were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited - it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an extra early start on the weekend.
Brother Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a doughnut?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a doughnut?" Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Brother Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.
Brother Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a doughnut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Brother Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a donut.
And so it went, down the first aisle. Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Brother Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When Brother Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a doughnut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?" Brother Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a doughnut he doesn't want?" Steve started to do ten pushups.
Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"
Brother Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it", and he put a donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down, and a little perspiration appeared around his brow.
Brother Christianson started down the third row. By now, the students were beginning to get a little angry. Brother Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a doughnut?" Jenny said, "No". Then Brother Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a doughnut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten; Jenny got a doughnut. By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten doughnuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each doughnut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, and his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Brother Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten doughnuts. Robert began to watch Steve closely.
Brother Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Brother Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw that there were now 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Brother Christianson went on to the next person, the next, and the next.
Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Brother Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Brother Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You can do them any way that you want." And Brother Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on.
Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."
Brother Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."
Brother Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a doughnut?"
"Yes."
"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a doughnut?"
Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a doughnut and sat down.
Brother Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift him against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Brother Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"
Linda, too choked up to talk, just shook her head. Brother Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a doughnut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.
Then Brother Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a doughnut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Brother Christianson, can I help him?"
Brother Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has to do it alone."
"Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a doughnut?"
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Brother Christianson then said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, pleaded to the Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit", and with the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, collapsed on the cross and died - even for those that didn't want His gift."
Correct! I've seen this before...but it's ALWAYS good to read again. Thanks :-)
If Scott didn't want a doughnut why did Steve have to do the pushups?
Did he?
"Brother Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them.""
Seems Brother Christianson was a little rough on Steve.
The language is a little tricky. He was asked each set if he would do them, not made to do them by an external agency
Shouldn't he do the ten push-ups, then give the other student a worthiness interview to see if he deserves the doughnut?
It'd fit the context better.
Seems to me that if Brother Christianson KNEW who wanted the doughnuts in the first place it would have been a lot easier on Steve who had to do the push-up, those who could have just automatically been given their doughnut by Bro Christianson, and those who wouldn't have to have been nagged if they wanted a doughnut when they really didn't.
Everybody got a donut because Steve wanted it so. If they rejected the donut that was okay, too, but they were all offered a donut.
But didn't Bro Christianson KNOW who would want the doughnut?
What happens to all the stale donuts?
School Security.
No problem. Stale donuts are best, I'll take care of the problem.
Did Steve's pushups actually pay for the donuts? Since Brother Christianson already had enough donuts to give one to everyone in the class (plus five more), what purpose does Steve's physical exertion - a requirement to obtain a donut from Brother Christianson - serve, except to drive Steve to exhaustion and to make the class feel guilty?
Why did Brother Christianson assign someone to watch Steve, to make sure Steve did all ten pushups per donut - didn't Brother Christianson trust Steve to do what Steve had promised?
What about this Scott guy - it seems that Brother Christianson knew he didn't want a donut. If Scott wasn't going to take a donut (assuming Brother Christianson knew that in advance), why buy a donut for him? If Scott changes his mind the next day, will Brother Christianson hand him the same donut, now stale? Will the offer expire? Or will Steve have to perform another ten pushups, before Brother Christianson will give a fresh donut to Scott?
Steve asks Brother Christianson if his nose has to touch the floor, and Bro. tells Steve that he "can do the pushups any way that he wants". Does this mean that what constitutes a "pushup" is arbitrary, so long as Steve does the correct number?
And most importantly, why doesn't Brother Christianson offer a donut to Steve? If Steve wanted one, does that mean Brother Christianson will have to do ten pushups?
Donuts, but no offer of milk. What does that tell you?
Originally, the teacher was watching to make sure all the pushups were done. His leaving and asking another student to watch is (I think) a refrence to Chists asking "why hast thou forsaken me", interpreted by some to mean that the father withdrew his presence from the son.
Wow. I didn't expect this thread to turn into a discussion on predestination and whether the atonement is perfectly efficient or not. Then again, these are the FR religeon boards. I really shouldn't be surprised.
Figures, doesn't it? LOL
I first heard this years ago, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for posting it. :-)
Hey, welcome back. I'll have to remember that talking of doughnuts will draw the troops..... ;O)
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