Elder L. Tom Perry Hospitalized; Released

I know I still haven't posted the general update I've been promising, but some important Church news crossed my radar today and I had to share.

Elder L. Tom Perry, the third most senior apostle , second most senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve, and the current oldest living apostle, aged 92, was hospitalized earlier today for some breathing difficulties. By 8:30 MDT today, he was released and is reportedly resting comfortably at home. But his brief hospitalization served as a reminder to me of the fragility of life and how grateful I am to have the leading brethren of the Church to guide us. Though I'm sure I would equally love, revere, and sustain whomever the Lord calls, I am very grateful that for the moment we do not have to worry about any apostles passing away. And since I just recently did a health update on the brethren, I thought this was important news to note.

Elder Perry's amazing stature (6'3") is only surpassed by the sweetness of his spirit and the goodness of his heart. I had the privilege of meeting this choice apostle of the Lord when he came to speak to the temple workers at the Mount Timpanogos Temple Worker's annual devotional. This man towered above all those in attendance. His message was timely and just what we needed to hear. While I have long forgotten what that message was, I will never forget how I felt being in the same room as this good brother. And then you can well imagine my joy at the privilege to meet him afterwards and shake his hand. I looked into his eyes and I clearly saw the testimony that he bears of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and His gospel. He must have been anxious to leave and resume his evening, but if he was, it didn't show. As each person came up, he asked for their names and spoke to them briefly. When it was my turn near the end of the evening, I thanked him for his message and for taking the time to be there. As the temple president, President Clarke, introduced me to him, President Clarke called me one of the most diligent workers there. Elder Perry expressed his thanks for me and the work I was doing. He then turned to greet others. I had to wait for my mom to pick me up, so I was there when he left. He graciously wished me a good evening, then took his wife's hand and left. I will never forget the impact this man's visit had on me, and I will always treasure the moments spent in his presence.

How grateful I am that he is all right! I hope he is around to inspire us for many years to come. As I mentioned in the post about the health of the brethren,, he will become the oldest apostle in the history of the Church on July 5, 2020. I think he'll make it, as the hospitalization today was only an ordeal for a couple of hours and he is otherwise very healthy.  Time will tell.

I will keep you updated on this and all other major Church news as time and circumstances allow. For the moment, the storm has past, and everything is all right now. General update to follow perhaps on Sunday, with no blog posts plans in between, unless something comes up. That's all for now.