This is the Best Ward

“This is the best Ward”. I think I hear this at least once a month in someone’s testimony during Fast Sunday and probably another time a month in someone’s talk. Is it really the “Best Ward”? What does it mean to be the “Best Ward”? I have heard that I am not the only one that has a hard time hearing this from people. It is difficult to hear this when your children and family have struggled with people in the Ward. It is difficult to see when someone has a minor surgery or something and is showered with attention when knowing your child has had multiple surgeries over their childhood and hardly heard from any member of their class or even their leaders. Or when your spouse has to travel out of town for a major surgery and for some reason the ward council comes to the conclusion that you wanted to keep this a secret even though you tell your home teachers, visiting teachers, the cub leader (who is the wife of one of the counselors in the Bishopric), a counselor in the Primary Presidency, etc,. to make sure callings are covered and to go through the proper channels so that the Ward knows. Then when the Relief Society President hears that we are surprised nobody checked up, she calls as says, well we brought “a” dinner in, what else do you want. Or when the RS or YW give a little something on birthdays for the people in their groups, but somehow “overlook” your family. How does this happen? How do you get to be a family in the “Best Ward” that nobody really notices? Or how do you become the family the everyone tries to help? Are people just focused on places to serve where they know that that person will post about them helping on their social media account or some place where others will see them. It is all just strange to me. I have heard others comment that they really don’t like coming to church because people are not friendly or when they hear how great this Ward has been to so and so or so and so’s family but nobody ever cares about them. I feel we need to hear more from these people. We need to hear of peoples struggles with life. We always hear of all the great things people do or have done or the great spiritual experiences they had. But we need to know that we are normal if we are struggling and life isn’t great. It is hard to go to church when you are surround by people that are doing everything perfectly and life is great wonderful to them. You go home and think that there is something wrong with you.   We need to hear more of those that aren’t feeling the spirit or haven’t received answers. If this truly is the “Best Ward”, I am not sure what "Best" really means.