Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple

Monday, January 19, 2015

Brother Shute

Last week was High Council Sunday, and the High Councilman, Brother Ferguson, brought Brother Shute as his companion speaker. I've been hearing about Brother S since we arrived in Baton Rouge a year ago--mainly that he makes and gives away bread almost daily and feeds the missionaries regularly. Someone wrote about him in 2013 and sent it to the Church News, although I'm not sure it was published. This is the article:

Brother Richard Dean Shute, 73, of the Baton Rouge 3rd Ward personifies the scripture, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt 25:40)
The missionaries serving in the LSU area estimated that over the past 32 years, Brother Shute has baked 45 loaves of wheat bread a week for a total of 75,000 loaves. He brings his basket of fresh, homemade bread to the stake center and distributes the loaves to various ward and stake members at no charge. The ward uses his bread for Sacrament Meeting. He doesn't drive and gives a loaf of bread in exchange for rides.

Brother Shute quotes his feelings about his bread making service from the second verse of Hymn #219, Because I Have Been Given Much. "Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care, I cannot see another's lack and I not share my flowing fire, my loaf of bread, my roof's safe shelter overhead, that he too may be comforted."

He is an ordinance worker at the Baton Rouge Temple. He is very compassionate and thoughtfully remembers the temple workers by leaving two loaves of his bread on the break room table to nourish them. They are especially thankful for this act of kindness, since it is a small temple without a cafeteria or vending machines.

The missionaries are grateful to Brother Shute for his generosity in providing meals for them. On Mondays, he has as many as 10 elders at one time for a dinner of red beans and rice--their favorite! Since Monday is one of his baking days, each companionship leaves with a loaf of bread.

During the holidays Brother Shute is especially busy, and his bread is in great demand. Once for a ward presentation of "Christmas Around the World," he baked bread from some of his recipes of 65 countries for a tasting booth.

Brother Shute performs his labor of love volunteering many hours at great personal cost and with several physical handicaps. He is truly a disciple of Christ and shows his love for his fellow saints by his actions as "The Bread Man."

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