Do You Want a Donut

Notes
Transcript

Do You Want a Donut?

 

 

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary in Utah. In Utah, Seminary classes are held as optional release-time curriculum. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went in to Mr. Christianson’s class.

 

Steve was told that he couldn’t be late, so he would come in just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over. One day, Mr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Mr. C pulled Steve aside and said, “You thing you’re pretty tough, don’t you?”

 

Steve’s answer was, “Yeah, I do.”

 

Then Brother Christianson asked, “How many push-ups can you do?”

 

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”

 

“Two-hundred? That’s pretty good, Steve.”

 

“Do you think you could do 300?”

 

“I don’t know…I’ve never done 300 at a time.”

 

“Do you think you could?” again asked Mr. C.

 

“Well, I can try.” Said Steve.

 

“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it.”

 

“Well…I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”

 

“Good! I need you to do this on Friday.”

 

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, Mr. C pulled out a big box of donuts. These weren’t the normal kinds of donuts. They were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited – it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an extra early start on the weekend.

 

Mr. C went to the first girl in the first row and asked, ‘Cynthia, do you want a donut?”

 

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

 

Mr. C then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”

 

Steve said, “Sure,” and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Mr. C put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

 

Mr. C then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”

 

Joe said, “Yes.”

 

Mr. C asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?”

 

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle. Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut.

 

And down the second aisle, till Mr. C came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

 

When Mr. C asked, “Scott do you want a donut?” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups?”

 

Mr. C said, “No, Steve has to do them.” Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.” Mr. C then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” Steve started to do ten pushups.

 

Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”

 

Mr. C said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it,” and he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

 

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down, and a little perspiration appeared around his brow. Mr. C started down the third row. By now, the students were beginning to get a little angry.

 

Mr. C asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”

 

Jenny said, “No.”

 

Then Mr. C asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

 

By now, the students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face. His arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

 

Mr. C asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. Robert began to watch Steve closely. Mr. C started down the fourth row.

 

During his class, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Mr. C realized this, he did a quick count and saw that there were now 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. He went to the next person and the next and the next.

 

A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled. “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on.

 

Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”

 

Mr. C said, “You realize that if Jason come in, you will have to do ten pushups for him.”

 

Steve said, “Yes, let him com in.” Mr. C said, “Okay, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?’ “Yes.”

 

“Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?” Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

 

Mr. C finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Mr. C went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a donut?” Lind, too choked up to talk, just shook her head. Mr. C asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushed so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

 

Then Mr. C turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?” Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, “Mr. C can I help him?”

 

Mr. C, with tears of his own, said, “No, he has to do it alone.”

 

“Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?”

 

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of hi, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

 

Mr. C turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, ‘Into they hands I commend my spirit.” With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He collapsed on the cross and died – even for those that didn’t want His gift.”

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