President Monson Attends Home Ward on Valentine’s Day
Place: Holladay, UT
Purpose: Going to church at his home ward
Occasionally President Monson has the opportunity to attend his home ward in Holladay, Utah. This past Sunday, Valentine’s Day, he did just that, and met with several young church members who were happy to get to speak with him for a few minutes.
As the presiding authority, President Monson sat on the stand for the sacrament meeting, and even spoke some at the end. Sister Kirsten Nicole recalls:
I was surprised at how casual he was… It was really cute actually! He spoke about missionary work around the world. At one point he was talking about being in Mexico. He mentioned how he sang to 95,000 Mexican saints at an event there. And then he began to sing the song to us… in Spanish… over the pulpit, with hand motions and everything. It was fantastic!!
He thanked the members of his ward and said that he always likes to attend his home ward when he can: “When I got in the car this morning, my driver asked me where I wanted to go. I said… ‘I dunno… I hadn’t thought about it’. Then I said ‘I’ll go to my home ward. I like it there… yeah… I’ll go there’. So I came, and here I am.” He kind of looked around lightheartedly and shook his head up and down, as if affirming that he’d made the right choice in visiting the ward that day.
I definitely think he made the right choice.
He talked jokingly about how he liked having his records in the ward. He said “ya know, the thing about bein’ the president of the church is… you don’t really have to ask anyone permission for that sort of thing”. It was a hoot.
President Monson at his home ward in Holladay, Utah (click to see larger)
After the meeting, President Monson shook the hands of some of the members and talked with them. He told them a lot about his wife, Frances, who was home sick. He told them how he met her, and pursued her, and a few other anecdotes.
One interesting detail from those who met him was the impression he left with them:
There was SO MUCH light in his eyes. I found myself thinking about the apparent contradiction that I was in… Here’s this man, who is God’s prophet on this earth… who is revered and reverenced around the world. He’s respected and loved by millions and millions of people. When he goes to foreign places, he’s given the best of the best. He meets with world leaders. He talks to God.
And at the same time, he’s just a grandpa. He’s funny. He rambles, and repeats himself. He’s really goofy and jokes a lot. He laughs at himself. His body is weak and feeble- he’s a human. He didn’t make anyone there feel intimidated. He didn’t boast, even in the slightest, about who he is. In some ways it was just like talking to my own grandfather.
He’s growing so old, and yet he does SO much. It was such a testimony to me of how much the Lord lifts His servants to do His work. There’s no way this man before me could do everything he does on his own.
One of the members asked him if he could give them one piece of advice:
“I’ll give you the same advice I give myself- I’m on my knees every morning and every night.”
To read more about the visit of President Monson to his home ward, and see more pictures, see the link below:
Doing Something Different… – “My Experience with the Prophet…”
