President Gordon B. Hinckley told of an embarrassing incident he experienced as a missionary:
“We held our meetings in the … town hall, which we rented. The floors were hard, and … every time a chair moved there was a noise. But this was not the worst aspect of the situation. Far worse was the noisy socializing of the members of the branch.
“On one occasion we invited a family whom we had met while tracting. With great expectation we as missionaries stood by the door to welcome them. There was the usual convivial spirit in the hall, with the members talking noisily one with another. When this family came into the room, they quietly moved toward some chairs, knelt for a moment, and closed their eyes in a word of prayer. They then sat in an attitude of reverence amidst all the commotion.
“Frankly, I was embarrassed. They had come to what they regarded as a worship service, and they behaved themselves accordingly.
“At the close of the meeting they left quietly, and when we next met they spoke of their disappointment in what they had experienced. I have never forgotten that” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 557). (Doctrine and Covenants and Church History: Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, Lesson 16: “Thou Shalt … Offer Up Thy Sacraments upon My Holy Day”)
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