We were part of a Boston ‘unit’ (similar to the “Malden Twig“) meeting in inner-city Boston in 1985. The first time we attended, there were, I think, 24 people there.

I served as the Primary President. I’m afraid I never really looked around to see what adults could have been there, but I certainly kept a close eye on the children and reached out to each of them. It was a challenging experience — especially since we didn’t live within the boundaries ourselves.

Looking back years later, I think I would have asked for more help, made a bit more fuss when necessary, and been a stronger advocate of those children to make sure they were receiving teaching and watchcare that would really serve them.

After about a year, the twig had become a reasonable-sized branch, and we were transferred back into the ward we lived in. But the branch went through a very similar journey — first meeting in a Knights of Columbus hall, where I had to spread a huge piece of cloth on the floor to get a place clean enough to hold nursery, and then into a psychiatric clinic that we rented on Sundays. We observed that every seat was always filled.

When we moved to larger quarters, there would be a huge jump in attendance, as everyone brought their friends. But people didn’t want to stand, so attendance would drop back to fill the number of chairs. So there was a big effort to have long-time members come a little late and stand in the back so that they wouldn’t be taking up chairs. Finally a phase II building was approved, skipping a phase I!

We moved away from Boston the week after the groundbreaking. We stayed in contact with some of our friends from the branch, so we heard that as soon as the phase II building was completed, they had to start making plans to knock out a wall and make the phase III addition!

The Branch became a ward, then two wards and two branches, and then a temple was built there.

When I was released, I was told I would some day in the future know the good I had done. Most weeks, it really felt like an uphill battle! This past summer (2013), I finally visited and walked through that chapel built with a lot of my sweat and tears. It was a sweet moment, and I knew my work was part of what created the ward that now meets within those walls.

-Anon.