Thomas S. Monson

[clbent04]

One of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard was that given by President Monson when he was first called to serve as an Apostle in 1963. All the more meaningful when you watch this clip considering President Monson’s lifelong dedication to the Lord.

 

 

Favorite quote by President Monson: 

“The sweetest experience I know in life is to feel a prompting and act upon it and later find out that it was the fulfillment of someone’s prayer or someone’s need. And I always want the Lord to know that if He needs an errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for Him” (On the Lord’s Errand).

Edited January 6, 2018 by clbent04

[Sunday21]

What a kind man with true Christian values. You can be successful while obeying the commandments. Nice guys finish first.

[Sunday21]

Unforgettable meeting with President Monson

https://ldsmag.com/an-unforgettable-meeting-in-africa-with-a-young-elder-thomas-s-monson/

Edited January 14, 2018 by Sunday21

[wenglund]

6 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Unforgettable meeting with President Monson

The funeral and accompanying media bios of Pres. Monson have inspired me to do more service to others--i.e., to use his words,  "paint a bright spot on my soul."  

When I fall asleep at night, it will be nice to consider : "I think we have done some good today." Wonderful Monson-esque words to live by.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[Traveler]

Just learned something I thought to pass on about pres. Nelson.  Every Monday (during the winter) he skis Alta.  For you Utah outsiders Alta and Snowbird are the two premier ski resorts for the advanced and expert – It is where the serious skiers take their talents.  I am very impressed in the health and vigor of pres. Nelson – I would like to say he is a man after my own heart – (little pun).

  

 

The Traveler

[Guest]

If I can be honest, I only had a mechanistic testimony that Thomas S. Monson was a Prophet of God.  i.e. I had a confirmation of the truth of the gospel, the Church, the BoM, and the system of apostolic succession that the Lord has put in place.  As such, Pres. Monson was the next successor.  But I never prayed specifically to know that he was the one designated by the Lord to be our Prophet.  I never felt the need to.  I thought I had received confirmation in my own way.

But this memorial service did something for me that was another level beyond.

I listened to the entire service.  Just like @wenglund , I too felt touched at the phrase "I think we have done some good today."  I also felt a pricking in my heart at the phrase,"I know that guy!  He tried his best."  I carried that last statement in my heart until the end of the service.  I held it in my heart as they wheeled the casket away.  I kept it in my heart as they changed the screen to show Pres. Monson's photograph with his date of birth and death.

It was at that moment (when I saw that photo) that I felt what I believe the Roman Centurion felt at Christ's crucifixion.  I knew.  I knew that Thomas S. Monson was a man who did some good in his life.  I knew that Thomas S. Monson was "that guy" that always tried his best.  I knew that Thomas S. Monson was a prophet of God.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Guest

[Vort]

Carb's experience leads me to share my own. And it's not pretty -- but maybe it's instructive.

President McKay was my own "first prophet", the prophet and Church president of my young childhood. To this day, the opening words of We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet recall President McKay to my mind. I was too young to have much memory of Presidents Smith and Lee, or of the tumult that such rapid changes in leadership must have caused. But of course, I remember President Kimball very well, the prophet of my mission. Then the accomplished President Benson, the prophet when I married and when my oldest child was born, followed for an all-too-brief period by the wonderful President Hunter.

Then came President Hinckley. He spoke at the MTC during Christmastime of 1982, and I greatly enjoyed his talk. That put him "on my radar", so to speak. My appreciation for him increased from that time, so when he became the Church's president, I was very happy. I treasured the time he served as president. Gordon B. Hinckley was my hero, the man I wanted to be like when I grew up.

Elder Monson was a bit of a different story. He would tell these long stories in General Conference, and while they were interesting and all that, I kind of didn't see the point. I found that my mind wandered during Elder Monson's talks. He was called into the First Presidency in the mid-1980s, so we always heard a lot from him during General Conference. I would rather have heard multiple talks from, I don't know, Elder Maxwell or Elder Ashton or Elder Packer. I just seemed not to engage well with President Monson's style.

That began to change in the early 2000s, at a time when I was in an elders quorum presidency. We had a regional leadership meeting in Marysville, WA, north of Everett that was conducted by apostles. I sat with about 2000 other men in an enormous room consisting of the Marysville chapel and (I think) two basketball courts and a stage at the opposite end, with the dividing partitions pulled back. Among the luminaries from Salt Lake, Elder Scott conducted and President Monson presided. President Monson was quite late to the meeting, as he was visiting a widow (I believe that was what Elder Scott told us).

At that time, Elder Scott also said something that, in retrospect, must have been obvious to the other 1999 men present, but to me was as if the heavens opened with a blaze of trumpets. He said, paraphrasing: "Listen closely when President Monson tells a story, because his story always illustrates the point he's making." That was the beginning of my change in heart and attitude toward President Monson's talks. (It also marked the turnaround of my attitude toward Elder Scott's talks, which before had always lulled me to sleep, but from that moment became sermons of spiritual fire, always a highlight of every General Conference.)

Just a week or so ago, I read this article that quotes President Monson's biographer. Reading it, I realized that President Monson was exactly the kind of man I most admired, the kind I most wish I could be like. It's a classic example of not really knowing what you have until it's gone. So the moral of the story is, I am a foolish man who fails to appreciate the gifts given me. But I am humbly grateful that, ungrateful though I am, I have been privileged to be led by men such as President Monson.

[clbent04]

@Carborendum , @Vort 

So spot on with some of my own thoughts.  I too had trouble connecting with President Monson's style of story telling for many years.  My mom absolutely loved him, and growing up as a kid I never understood why. It wasn't until I discovered the OP video about 3-4 years ago that my entire attitude towards President Monson's teaching style changed. Suddenly I realized this was the very man who exemplified so many of the values and ideals I admire in others. From that moment on I didn't care how he shared his thoughts. I came to know him to be the prophet of God, and one of the most sincere and dedicated servants of the Lord.  President Monson greatly influenced my testimony of the Church, specifically the divine intervention at hand with who is called to serve in Church leadership.  My testimony of the divinely inspired succession of prophets leading up to President Monson largely rests on the spiritual confirmations I received of President Monson being a prophet of God while considering his good merits and the exemplary life he led.

Edited January 16, 2018 by clbent04