Coops to Courts

From Coops to Celestial Courts

When I was about 12 years old, our ward was part of the Flagstaff and later part of the Prescott Arizona Stakes of the church. Like many stakes, we had a welfare project. Ours was a "Poultry Project"or chicken farm. My dad, Boyd Tenney, served on the High Council. He had deep roots in the Prescott area, was a rancher and cattle broker and owned a Purina feed store  This put him in close contact with many people involved in agriculture. He learned of a poultry operation in Chino Valley, AZ that was available. Our Stake purchased the farm and we all had opportunities to make it function.

Maybe it is just my imagination, but it seems that as one of Boyd’s kids, I had more “opportunities” to work at the chicken farm than most. What was that like? It was the filthiest work I have ever done. These coops were about 100 feet long. The work often entailed going in and shoveling the manure, straw, dirt and dust out and putting in fresh straw. The smell of ammonia was so overwhelming that my eyes would burn, my throat would close up and I would feel like I was choking. Sneezing, coughing, teary eyes and back-breaking work – what a joy! Returning home was such a relief. I hated working at the chicken farm. Or did I? There was a feeling, deep inside my chest, beneath the secretions in my airways, that my contribution was worthy. It was the feeling you get when you do something good and necessary that you know others prefer not to do.

Fast forward about 45 years. Recently a few volunteers were recruited to go to the Mesa Temple and assist in cleaning after hours. Marilyn and I volunteered and spent one late Friday evening there. We were asked to clean the upper floors of the temple. Dressed in white, with dust cloths in hand, we went up to the highest courts of the temple and there spent a few hours cleaning, vacuuming, dusting and polishing. It may be more accurate to say that we were in search of a speck of dust to capture and discard. I felt so good when I actually noticed some small thing that needed attention. But to be in these sacred areas, serving, thinking about what the Temple represents was a real joy. No iPods, no music, nothing but silence. That is when my mind returned to my childhood memories of the chicken farm. What a contrast there was! Besides the environment, the opportunity to be in the Temple at all is a sacred privilege in and of itself.
The contrast of these two experiences is very stark. But there are some similarities as well. Service is needed. Volunteers have to step forward. But surely cleaning the House of the Lord is far more worthy an activity that of a filthy chicken coop, right? When I left the chicken farm I was filthy. When I left the temple, I felt more clean and pure than when I entered.

Leviticus has many chapters devoted to what makes us ritually and spiritually impure and what steps are needed to reclaim our purity.  That night I came to some surprising conclusions about service.

1. Willingness:
When given the “opportunity to serve”, what goes through my mind? Do I celebrate the all chances to serve equally? What do I say to myself when volunteers are requested for the chicken coops of life?
2. Why do I serve?
The classic talk given in General Conference by Dallin Oaks in October 1984 lists five possible motives for service. Usually I fall far short of the ultimate motivation – the love of God.
3. Does God have a system of ranking service?
If so, it surely must favor simple, contrite and authentic acts. From the tears and the alabaster box of ointment bathing the feet of the Savior (in the presence of “honored guests”) to the widow’s mite (giving her all in the face of greater contributions from others of their abundance), it seems to me that the Savior prefers the simple, honest and quiet contributions.

The feelings I felt after working with chicken manure was one of worthiness and peace. Did I want to rush back the next day to repeat this experience? No. But still, there was sweet feeling doing something no one else wanted to do. Serving in the temple was one that purified me, leaving me cleaner. But I feel well suited to be a pooper-scooper if only at the gates of the Kingdom.