Wacky sealers
 

I haven't been to all that many temple weddings, but it seems like there is a high proportion that have a sealer that has been slightly off his game.

Here are my instructions:

1. Smile a lot.
2. Put people at ease.
3. A little bit of gentle humor is ok (see #2), but leave the standup routine at home.
4. Avoid off-color humor (see #2).
5. Gravitas is good, but keep the homily short and to the point.

In some ways your job is to be forgettable. Because, I am betting, most of the time the sealer is remembered, it is not for reasons of competence. It's like a sacrament prayer--the good, appropriate ones are forgettable. It's the fiascos that we remember.

The other part of this coin is to not to get too upset if you get someone a little off his game. "That's the way baseball go," as Ron Washington, manger of the Texas Rangers likes to say.

Both guys who sealed me were great. I'd complain about them if I could, but I can't. I haven't been to any other sealings in forever though. No recommend at the moment.

I wish I'd seen off-color humor at a sealing. I mostly just remember hoping they would stop talking soon because nobody's listening -- most of all the people being sealed.

Well, a little sexual innuendo about newlyweds can spice things up.