And the Academy Award for Worst Segue Goes to....

So, speaking of masturbation, I got an instant message from Figgy, one of my last-year efy kids, this afternoon. He lives in Tennessee, and was one of the best kids I'd had the whole time. I talked to him for a bit, and then he asked me if I knew how to stop masturbating. I think this might be exactly the type of conversation that is the reason we're not supposed to keep e-mail contact with our efy kids, but he's old enough now that it's all legal. So I dropped everything else I was doing and focused on this conversation with Figgy. He said he'd already been to the bishop about it and the bishop had told him to try to stop. I offered all the advice I could, and shared a few scriptures. He said something to me that kinda surprised me. He told me that he still remembered a promise I had made at efy last year in which I had told the boys that if they would just read the Book of Mormon straight through in two week's time, they'd be blessed with the strength they needed to overcome whatever their trial was at that time. He said he had decided to start that today, and wanted to know if I really thought it could help him. I said it would take a lot of work but that I really felt that such a serious study of the scriptures would help him with his trials, as it had helped me with mine. I really respect this kid for having the courage to seek help with his problems, and to try to clear these things up before his mission. He's a great teacher, and he'll be an awesome missionary some day. I had completely forgotten I'd issued that promise to the boys that week. It makes me glad to know that someone actually took to heart something I had felt inspired to say. Figgy will be in my prayers for the next little while. Man, I'm grateful for that job.