AN ALZHEIMER'S SACRAMENT MEETING

SACRAMENT MEETING IN AN ALHEIMERS WARD:

So, this has got to be one of the weirdest parts of our trip:

The meeting “begins” at 10:15. We sit listening to prelude music for 20 minutes as the wheelchairs are brought in one by one. They all reside at the Alzheimers home, and the meeting takes place in a center room in the middle of this Alzheimer’s home. There are about 20 wheelchairs in there and we are the only family. There are two spouses of those in the home. The bishopric gets out of its meeting in a small room in the corner and takes their seats.

After the opening hymn and sacrament hymn the Sacrament begins

There is Obviously no ward business to attend to.

THEN, it seemed like all heck started to break loose...

As the bread is being passed, a lady in a wheelchair 3 seats away is LOUDLY giving a full on DISCOURSE on PRIDE and the SINS OF THE WORLD. People occasionally try to shush her as she continues giving what seemed like a very well prepared talk. She went on and on, talking to her imagionary congregation.

After she closed her talk, I think she thought that she was also in charge of the special musical number in her own little world. She loudly began humming “Come Come Ye Saints” about the time they started passing the water around. The faculty had to actually wheel her away at that point, and it struck me as interesting that in this sacrament meeting, none of the kids present had to be taken out, just the adults!

Another lady was loudly reading the newspaper during the sacrament – rustling the ads about, and loudly turning the pages.

There was immediately a hymn after the Sacrament, and then a short 4 minute talk, and then they CLOSED THE MEETING!!!! We couldn’t believe it – it was all of 20 minutes long!

Then for the closing song, a man in back of us sweetly sang a SOLO during the INTRODUCTION. I suppressed my giggle – and I thought it was very sweet.

After the closing prayer, an Alzheimer’s pateient named Arlene that is in LOVE with my Grandpa (in front of my still mentally sharp Grandma) came over with a vengeance and said to my GRANDMA

“Tell him (Grandpa) he needs a LECTURE! If we are going to get married in the TEMPLE, He needs to go to church MORE OFTEN!!”

Brian said to her, “Well, he is already SPOKEN for.”

Arlene said defensively,” Yeah he’s spoken for - by ME!!!”

Grandma said patiently, “Arlene, we’ve talked about this, I’M the wife.”

Arlene said in a puzzled tone, “You’re the…..Wi-….”

Then she said with decided certainty,” No,no, I like... THIS ONE....(pointing to Grandpa) and YOU like ....(pointing AWAY from Grandpa)…….That….OTHER ONE!”

Grandma said patiently, ‘Ok, lets take you to your room now, Arlene.”

“First,”Arelene declares, “I have to give him a KISS!”

Arlene proceeds to give him a sloppy kiss while my Grandma issued an annoyed “UUUUUHHHHHHHHHHH” to herself.

Brian and I looked at each other like, “THIS IS MADNESS!!!!” no pun intended!