Stealing a Candy Bar

Most of my embarrasing stories start with the words, "I thought it would be funny...".  This time the sentance finished with "to tease my 5th grade teacher."  You see, Mr. Sherratt was a big stern guy, the kind you would expect to see coaching a football team.  But his fun loving side was great if you could get him to laugh.  So during lunch my friends Court, Joe, and I were surprised to see his office door was left unlocked and open.  Everyone else was on the playground for lunch, and the classroom was totally empty.  On his desk was a king size Snickers.

It me 30 seconds to devise the worlds most cunning plan for maximum laughter.  It was Thursday, and on Thursday afternoons we always got the American History books from the back shelf.  Court would take the candy bar, Joe would hide it behind the books, and later that afternoon it would be discovered to our teachers shock, amazement, and chocolatey joy.  Court could say, "I didn't hide the candybar."   Joe could say, "I never went in your office" and I could say "I never touched the candbar".  It was flawless and we laughed ourselves out to the playground.

Fast forward to the next day.  Mr. Sherratt says, "Class, there's something important we need to talk about.  Yesterday someone entered my office and stole a candy bar from my desk.  This is a serious violation, frankly it's a crime.  This has me very upset."

Shock.  Horror.  Oh no!  I look back, the books are untouched, we didn't use them yesterday.  Is the candybar still there?  If someone found it and took it then I'm cooked.  My face floods beat red, I scoot lower in my seat and try to hold my breath.  Mr. Sherratt says, "Scott, Court, and Joe, do you guys know anything about it?"  I look at my conspirators - Court is about to pass out and Joe looks like he might throw up.

"I never went in your office"
"I didn't touch any candybar"
"I didn't hide your Snickers"

I could tell Court felt like he got stuck with the lame excuse.  He was whiter than a sheet of paper.  Mr. Sherratt stood there glaring at us for a minute until he finally said, "I'm going to leave my office open during lunch again today, and when I come back I expect to see my Snickers back where it was before."

There comes a point in every story where I know my life will be different.  For a second I saw my life as a criminal, forever marred by that first theft.  Then to be offered a way out.  It's a beautiful thing to realize you have just made a huge mistake but you also have a way to fix it.  Each of us has messed up in life, "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)  We discover too late that our excuses sound lame.  "Do you imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the eternal 5th grade teacher and say - Lord, our works have been righteous?" (my Alma 5:17).  What relief we must feel when the Savior puts his healing hands on us and tells us to return the candybar and he will "remember our sin no more" (D&C 58:42).

All during lunch it was "Shhh!  Shhh!  Not yet!  Wait!  Hurry, eat quick, and follow me!"  Lunch was barely touched, but a candybar was returned.  We ran to the far side of the playground and gasped as only escaped convicts can.  To this day I feel horror at the idea that I might steal something even to be funny.  No one ever mentioned the candybar again, and I wonder if my 5th grade teacher remembers the incident.  Perhaps it doesn't matter since I remember the lesson.