Today I was more than blessed to have a filled to overflowing fabulous day. Here's the low-down.
I woke up this morning around 7:15 showered and all that jazz and headed off to my Living Prophets Class. Oh my gracious. It was amazing. Today we focused all of our energy and attention on Thomas S. Monson the living, breathing, amazing President of the Church and the Lord's mouthpiece here on the earth today. Despite his leadership positions throughout his life, he was an amazing man. As a child he would go with his father on Sunday's to his crippled uncle's home. There they would carry his uncle out and place him into the car and take a Sunday drive. He was an extraordinarily patient and persistent man. Our text for this section is a compilation of talks that he has given throughout his life.
But more excitingly he visited BYU for our weekly Devotional. The Marriot Center (which holds 22, 700 people) was packed and not even every student was able to be in there! I was blessed enough to be, granted I watched the profile of his face or the screen the whole time. Still, it was one of the most amazing spiritual experiences I have ever had.
It was almost like story time, with a twist. He elaborated on Presidents who have passed on and what their ministry brought to the world. He told of their persistence, dedication, determination, ability to love others far more than themselves, their patience and their love for learning. He elaborated on a story for us, which I knew was a deviation from the script because the teleprompter stopped rolling for a moment. I really want to share it because it made me laugh so hard!
"One day a man came to the Church Headquarters wishing to speak to the Prophet because he was unhappy with the decision the First Presidency had made to send his son to the New England Mission.
He said, 'I don't want my son to go there! I want him to serve in the Old England Mission!'
Patiently President Kimball, the president at the time, asked which mission he would prefer in the old England mission, then listed them all Bristol, London, London South etc.
The man was somewhat flustered, though President Kimball was more patient than ever. He responded, 'Well, London sounds fine or...or maybe Bristol?"
After some time the man left and President Kimball turned to me (this is President Monson speaking remember) and said with a smile on his face, 'Some parents can be so unusual.' He didn't use the word I would've used!" He paused because we were all laughing then added, "But he also wasn't in Navy like I was!" The roaring laughter took awhile to clam down. But once it did he went on to other past prophets. He ended with a simple, wonderful testimony and with the spirit so thick and sweet filling that arena, bid us a goodbye until next time.
As I stood up, as custom when a Prophet enters or exits the room, my heart was swollen with overwhelming joy and love for not only the man who had been in that room with us for a little over an hour, speaking to us as old friends, but for the Ultimate power behind him, The Lord. How grateful I am that The Lord would send such a righteous man to continue to lead His people like in days of old. I bear my testimony to any of you who may read this that President Thomas S. Monson is a modern day prophet. Though I know many of you are not LDS (Mormon) and may not believe in what I believe but know that The Lord would not abandon us now. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and if there were Prophets of old, like Isaiah and Moses and John The Baptist, we will have them today and forever. I know that God lives and loves us. He has guided my life and blessed it so abundantly that words cannot even express it. I love the Lord my God and his servant Thomas S. Monson and know that through our faith, miracles can happen. The future is only as bright as our faith.
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