There was a boy by the name Steve who was attending college where Brother Christianson taught seminary. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student who had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his 6thperiod, and other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson’s seminary class.
Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived 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, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Brother Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, “You think 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.” “200? That’s pretty good Steve. Do you think you can do 300?” Steve replied, “I don’t know, I’ve never done 300 at a time.” “Do you think you could?” again asked Brother Christianson. “Well, I can try.” “Can you do 300 in sets of ten? I need you to do three hundred in sets of ten for this to work. Can you, do it? I need you to tell me you can do it.” Steve said, “Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do it”
Brother Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday.”
Friday came and Steve got to class early and set in the front of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now 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 early start on the weekend.
Brother Christianson went to the 1st girl, in the 1st row, and asked, “Cynthia do you want a donut?” Cynthia said, “Yes.” Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Cynthia can have a doughnut?” Steve said, “Sure,” and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Brother Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.
Brother Christianson there went to Joe, the next person, and asked Joe, “Do you want a doughnut?” Joe said, “Yes”. Brother Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a doughnut?” Steve did 10 pushups; Joe got a doughnut.
And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did 10 pushups for every person before they got their donuts and down the second aisle, until Brother Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain of the football team center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When brother Christianson asked Scott if he wanted a doughnut, Scott asked if he could do his own pushups. Brother Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.” Then Scott said, “Well I don’t want one then.”
Brother Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do 10 pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?” Steve started to do 10 pushups. Scott said, “Hey! I said I didn’t want one!” Brother Christianson said, “Look this is my classroom, my class, my desk and my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a doughnut on Scott’s desk.
Now by this time, Stephen began 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. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.
Brother Christianson started down the 3rd row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Brother Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?” Jenny said, “No.” Then Brother Christianson asked Steve, “Would you do 10 pushups so Jenny can have a doughnut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did 10, Jenny got a donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten doughnuts on the desk. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups done for each doughnut. There began to be a small pole of sweat on the floor beneath his face; his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Brother Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did 10 pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. So, Robert began to watch Steve closely.
Brother Christianson started down the 4th row. During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Brother Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Brother Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Brother Christensen if he had to make his nose touch on each one. Brother Christianson thought for a minute. “Well, they’re your pushups. You can do them any way you want.” And Brother Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all 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.” Brother Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you have to do 10 pushups for him.” Steve said, “Yes, let him come in.” Brother Christianson said, “Ok 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 doughnut?” Steve did 10 pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and set down.
Brother Christianson finished a 4th row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off 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. Brother Christianson went to Linda, the 2nd to last, and asked, “Linda do you want a doughnut?” Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”
Brother Christianson asked Steve if he would do 10 pushups so Linda could have a doughnut she doesn’t want. Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Brother Christianson turned to, the last girl Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?” Susan with tears flowing down her face, asked, Brother Christianson, “Can I help him?”
Brother Christianson, 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?” Steve very slowly finished his last pushups with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him, and he fell to the floor.
Brother Christianson turned to the room and said, “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, ‘Into your 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. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.