Some Personal Thoughts About President Monson's Passing

Hello again, everyone! With the busy day of news coverage as a result of President Monson's death just short of 18 hours ago, I haven't really had time to collect or process my thoughts about the personal impact this man had on my life. When I was born in December 1986, President Monson had been in the First Presidency for just over a year. So there was never a time in my life where I could not remember him in that capacity. In the course of his valiant service as a counselor to Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley, I grew to appreciate his candor, his tell-it-like-it-is approach, and his willingness to ever encourage and lift those around him, wherever his ministry took him. There are so many memories I could share of times when his counsel and service personally impacted me at pivotal moments. I would just like to address a few that mean the most.

First, I remember the shock we all felt when President Hinckley's death was announced. It was not unexpected, but we all knew that he had truly worn out his life in the service of Church members. I remember that on the Monday following the funeral services for President Monson, I was stuck at the office of my physical therapist. As he worked on my treatment, I was not making it easy for him to do so, since I wanted to hear every word I could of the press conference in which President Monson was introduced as Church President. I wound up having to watch the whole thing again after my appointment, which didn't bother me.

I was in attendance with my dad at our Stake Center a few months later for the memorable first conference over which President Monson presided, and I still remember to this day how delighted we all were to see this giant of a man with a huge heart tell his story, wiggle his ears in front of the entire priesthood body, and then impishly follow that up with his trademark humorous statement, "My wife told me not to say that."

In addition to the many policies and major announcements of his prophetic administration, I remember that in one General Conference shortly after he became the prophet, it felt like he was speaking directly to me as he mentioned that, for those who were unable to serve a full-time mission due to health constraints, the service such individuals render is just as acceptable to the Lord as it would be if they had been able to serve full time. This was a direct answer to the prayers I had offered prior to that General Conference to ask the Lord if my part-time efforts had been acceptable to him.

Then came another General Conference, where he and a couple of other leaders mentioned in the priesthood session that young men should earnestly be looking for an eternal companion following their missionary labors. That was a talking point in my family for a while. And just less than three full years after he took the mantle of Church leadership, I was able to follow that counsel and get married.

But I want to backtrack a little. Through many institute classes which I had over the years I attended, my favorite course of study was Teachings of the Living Prophets, as it offered me and my classmates the chance to study the latest talks from our apostles in more depth. At one point, one of those courses originated from a classroom on the BYU-Provo campus. In our study on President Monson in that class, we were asked to memorize our choice of one quote and one poem President Monson had shared in his talks previously. I can still remember to this day the ones I selected.

First, the quote: "Time marches on. Duty keeps cadence with that march. Duty does not dim or diminish. Catastrophic conflicts come and go, but the war waged for the souls of men continues without abatement."

And the poem was The Bridge Builder

An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To a cavern, vast, and deep, and wide
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim:
The sullen stream held no fear for him,
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.

"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting your strength with building here:
"Your journey will end with the ending day,
"You never again may cross this way.
"You have crossed the chasm deep and wide,
"Why build you a bridge at the eventide?"

The builder lifted his old gray head,
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
"A youth whose feet must cross this way.
"He too must cross in the twilight dim:
"Good friend, I am building a bridge for him."

I feel that both the quote and the poem are excellent summaries of the principles to which President Monson devoted himself, and by which he governed his life. Wherever duty took him, he was willing to go. And he constantly reminded us, in both word and continued deed to the very end of his life, that we should make every effort to reach out and rescue those we see that are troubled or suffering. Such was the legacy of our dear prophet. And such was his impact on me, even though I never met him personally. I share these thoughts in grateful memory of the life and teachings of our beloved prophet, and I do so in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.