Finally Christians who get it

Last week we had the opportunity to climb the mountain in the Huntsville, Utah wilderness to visit a monastery. The monastery is called Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity. My family has had the chance to visit this place twice in the past decade and we love to go and hear the monks chant and sing praises to God. We also love to buy some of the delicious honey that the monks make to sell at their gift shop. Yes, they have beehives and they are bee-keeping monks. How interesting is that?

Recent visit to the monastery

Every time we visit this monastery the place seems to get smaller and everything produced by them seems to decrease. This last visit we noticed that their roof to the chapel now leaks. We visited their gift shop and noticed that their delicious honey was gone. We asked Fr. Pat, the monk over the gift shop, where the honey was and he said, “You are about eight months late for that. We couldn't make it any more. We have plenty of bees, but not enough monks anymore.” We bought some jam instead. As I looked around their gift shop I made some interesting observations.

Fr. Pat

1. They had merchandise pictures on sale of the late Pope John Paul II, but not of the current living Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Why do you think that is?

2. Out of all the non-LDS Christian book stores and gift shops I have visited through the world it seems like every one of them had anti-Mormon literature and media you could buy as well… Except for this place, if  anything, they welcome us and respect our differences. I even saw a pamphlet sold there entitled “Monks for Mormons: How to explain our beliefs and customs to our friends the Mormons .“ Finally I have met Christians who get it.

I have a lot of respect for these old monks who have devoted their entire lives to serving the Lord. I can see how this commitment is so great that not a lot of people can make that decision, which is why they are dying off and becoming so few. I love listening to them sing praises to God through prayers, and chants and despite what most Christian denominations may say about one another, I know that God hears their prayers.

I always feel enlightened every time I visit this place.