Story from my grandpa Hap Stewart

Marion Everett "Hap" Stewart

My grandpa never joined the church.  His attitude toward Mormons was based on his first impressions, which were formed in Snowflake, Arizona when he was about 20.  He moved there to work on the Hashknife ranch, and met Vinnie Gardner and married her.  (She was LDS, as was all her family and almost everyone in town.)

His whole life, he let it be known what hypocrites the Mormons in Snowflake were.  (No offense to anyone in Snowflake, but that was his opinion.)

I was on the phone with my dad a few days ago, and he told me this story about Grandpa Hap.

He said Hap only attended church with them one time in his life.  That was to go listen to an apostle speak in Snowflake.  Hap came home from that meeting as pleased as could be, because the speaker had told off the people.

 Instead of praising them for their righteousness,the apostle told the congregation, "You're a sorry lot.  But you are all we have to work with so we'll have to use you."

Hearing THAT made my grandpa feel like he wasn't too far from the truth.