It doesn’t take a merit badge to wear love on a sleeve. photo by anja_johnson

Reports out of the Johnson household state that young Shad, avowed legomaniac, uttered “we thank thee for the Prophet Jaden Smith” rather than Joseph Smith during the Johnson’s diurnal 8:55pm prayer without any sort of snicker or self-acknowledged in-prayer correction Wednesday night.

Jorben, the eldest in the clan, when pressed on the prayer subject, diverted momentary attention from Grand Theft Auto 5 to yell, “who cares?!?”

The 38-second prayer was said to contain no other errors, much to Shad’s credit. Breadwinner Johnny, father of the tongue-tied adolescent, said he hopes it’s a one-time prayer lapse, and as such, won’t ground the lad for the twenty game console minutes usually applied toward breaches in prayer etiquette.

Shad’s mother Melinda said the Webelos scout is, “just the cutest little bugger around, and sure loves prayer and his Savior. Heaven knows that Smith is such a popular name, even though those Smiths look different than the family of the Prophet of the dispensation of the fulness of times.”

We caught up with Shad the next morning en route to his bus stop, and in exchange for all three pink Starbursts in a pack he said about his prayer, “Did I say prophet? I meant he is GOD” before roundhouse kicking this correspondent squarely in the gut.