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Jaw Drop – Elder Nelson. I don’t know what to say. My nephew is on a mission in Russia and they had a special fireside with Elder and Sister Nelson. My nephew is stoked. I am speechless.
That’s all.
What did he feel was special about the experience? At one time I was in awe with them given the urban belief they have seen Christ. But now I am not so sure. Plus, many of the policies emanate from them, and not all are good for families, so I am not nearly as enamored as I once was with the mystical quality they once had. Interesting to hear what your son’s perspective was on the experience. As much as he feels he can share…
He was pretty impressed. He even sent a picture. He will likely be that way his entire life. But who knows. This week it was the icing on the cake. As for me, I am with you, especially related to Nelson. If he’d said another few I might be able to get a boost. That’s just me where I am today.
Elder Scott came to the MTC to give a talk. When he visited our mission in South America, he gave the same talk. Much later this talk was published in the Ensign. From my notes on the first two renditions of the talk and comparison with the published version I can see differences. What I think I learned is that stories can sometimes get better (more focused and/or dramatic) with subsequent retellings. I do not take this as a bad thing. Storytelling/myth making/legend creation is an art. Roy wrote:
Elder Scott came to the MTC to give a talk. When he visited our mission in South America, he gave the same talk. Much later this talk was published in the Ensign. From my notes on the first two renditions of the talk and comparison with the published version I can see differences. What I think I learned is that stories can sometimes get better (more focused and/or dramatic) with subsequent retellings. I do not take this as a bad thing. Storytelling/myth making/legend creation is an art.
Reminds me of the lyrics to “Take it on the run” from REO Speedwagon
Quote:But I know the preisthood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
(OK, maybe I did change ONE word).This is happening today. Elder Holland was man enough to fess up when it came clear (or he was called out?) a “miracle” missionary story he passed on was quite the embellishment – or really was nothing at all before it was tweaked over and over. The church version
https://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-shares-account-of-missionary-speech-of-all-time-with-new-misson-presidents?lang=eng&_r=1 ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-shares-account-of-missionary-speech-of-all-time-with-new-misson-presidents?lang=eng&_r=1 I also mentioned the embellished, “The Super Inspired mission president saves his whole mission from the Tsunami” story.
https://wheatandtares.org/2017/04/19/is-whitewashing-continuing-today/ ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://wheatandtares.org/2017/04/19/is-whitewashing-continuing-today/ I had an experience on my mission with a GA that I feel still helps my attitude toward these folks. While Joseph B Wirthlin was still a Seventy, he came to my area for a Stake Conf. During the weekend, he sat down with each of us missionaries serving in the area for a one-on-one interview. It was a great experience. I don’t remember what he said, but I remember well the feeling that he was there to hear about me and my work and to encourage me. It wasn’t a worthiness interview at all, but a personal chat about a topic we both loved. It engendered an understanding on my part that these people are completely and totally dedicated to their calling and responsibility, much more than I am to my career, for example. They sacrifice all their time energy and talents for a cause that they believe in completely and they do it out of love for the work and for fellow-laborers.
I think most missionaries get a visit from an apostle at least once on their mission. I could be wrong. It’s a big world. I remember three visits from GAs while I was on my mission.
MTC: I was there when they did a worldwide broadcast to all missionaries from the MTC. Two apostles headlined. I sang in the choir for that event (first time ever, at the time I didn’t even know music had “parts”). The only thing I remember about the event was the event planners strategically placing minorities in the rows that they planned on panning over with the camera during the broadcast.
Field:
A 70 visited. I have three memories from that visit:
1) The 70 was a convert, which I thought was pretty cool. That probably narrows his identity down.
2) Some elder asked, “How can we be more effective missionaries?” The visiting 70 said, “Open your mouth.” The elder mistook the 70’s answer, thinking that the visiting 70 didn’t hear his question, and shouted (it was a large room), “HOW CAN WE BE MORE EFFECTIVE MISSIONARIES!?!?” Everyone got a chuckle.
3) The visiting 70 lined up every elder present, walked down the line, and inspected us one by one – like he was a DI and we were at boot camp. Elder, your hair is too long, get a haircut. Elder, do something about those sideburns, the prophet doesn’t have sideburns that long (almost a direct quote, it’s been decades but I remember it).
Elder Scott visited. I remember being impressed that he spoke Spanish, I didn’t know that he knew Spanish. I didn’t know much of anything in those days. His big message was shedding culturalisms that interfered with the gospel, he specifically mentioned handshakes (we speculated and privately joked that someone must have given him one of the elaborate cultural handshakes when he arrived in our mission). And he was big on insisting that missionaries that didn’t speak English learn the language of the restoration – to better understand the scriptures and the pragmatic reason for increasing marketability.
I’ve personally shaken hands with Elder Anderson on my mission. He shattered the robotic missionary platform. The orthodox missionaries kept on being robots. They are just as capable of misinterpreting apostles as anyone else. Seems like many of the junior apostles are not happy with the judgmental and overprescriptive culture of the church, but are not able to voice their unfiltered opinions in the presence of large groups and Elder Oaks.
General Authority Sighting List (non-Utah)*
Quentin Cookvisited my mission (South Carolina) and spoke to us (this was probably 15+ years ago). *
Richard G. Scottgave a YSA fireside that I attended. My boyfriend of 2 weeks (or less) went with me and really had a meaningful time. 2 weeks later he was my fiancee. Now we are going on 10.5 years together. *
M. Russell Ballardvisited our stake, I remember shaking his hand. This was probably 11 years ago now. *
Joy Jones(Current Primary General President) spoke at a R.S. Conference Summer 2016 to us in Michigan. Many young people probably feel at awe when they first meet a GA. I met my first GA at the age of 11 and 51 weeks. Elder Rex Pinegar visited my stake and my dad took me to a priesthood meeting a week before my 12th birthday (gasp!) and introduced me to him. I walked on clouds all week and was almost surprised that he didn’t get angry at me for attending priesthood meeting before I even had the priesthood. While at BYU I went to most devotionals and kept track of all the GAs I was in the same room as (usually the Marriott Center). I ticked off something like 12 out of 15 apostles in the single year before my mission. President Benson was on his deathbed so I never heard him and maybe a couple of others. The MTC was a parade of GAs. On my mission I met several others including Packer and Faust.
The coolest GA I met was Elder Robert Wells of the Q70. I asked questions about the temple and he gave really cool down to earth answers. He took his time and I think our interview lasted 40 minutes. Elder Wells is still my favorite GA because he seemed like a normal grandfather figure who could just chill. One of the Q70 I met was a real **ck. I think my mission president would have throat punched him if he could have.
Older and more mature now, I still respect GAs but I hold them in no special regard and I probably wouldn’t stand in line to meet one. I no longer believe the Q15 personally converse with the Savior. They pull their pants up just like the rest of us in the morning.
My memory is when I was on a pay phone at a regional conference in Canada somewhere. Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around it was Elder Maxwell, grinning ear to ear. He stretched out his hand and we exchanged a friendly handshake, and then he disappeared. I thought that was cool. It was a drive by, apostolic hand shaking.
Good for him too — I couldn’t chat as I was on the phone! So he could see more members per minute that way. Plus he gave me a cool story.
Here’s my list. Richard Scott.Stood in line to meet him when I was at the MTC. Forgot to shave that morning and spent the day half dreading meeting him. Turns out, no big. He was nice. Quentin Cook.I was there when he set apart my FIL as a mission president. FIL asked me to roll my shirt sleeves down while we were still in the underground parking lot, which (due to earlier experience) I thought was just neurotic. Don’t remember much more. Todd Christofferson.Came to our area this year and spoke at a fireside in our meetinghouse. Didn’t stand when he entered. Dude has to earn that. (I’d probably stand for Uchtdorf.) Here’s a story about TSM that my FIL told me. I don’t remember why, but years and years ago they were touring in the holy land. TSM was in Bermuda shorts. He gestured at a lake.
TSM: Fancy going skinny-dipping, FIL?
FIL: After you, president.
TSM blushes and walks off.
I thought this was hilarious. But FIL still felt bad about embarrassing him and told me that he shouldn’t have, and tried to turn the story into an illustration of why we should have the proper respect for our leaders. I wanted to say, “He’s just a man,” and “Really, FIL, he started it,” but I knew he’d just take it as a sign of disrespect, so I guess I just let my deer-in-the-headlights expression do all the talking for me.
LookingHard wrote:
Roy wrote:
Elder Scott came to the MTC to give a talk. When he visited our mission in South America, he gave the same talk. Much later this talk was published in the Ensign. From my notes on the first two renditions of the talk and comparison with the published version I can see differences. What I think I learned is that stories can sometimes get better (more focused and/or dramatic) with subsequent retellings. I do not take this as a bad thing. Storytelling/myth making/legend creation is an art.
Reminds me of the lyrics to “Take it on the run” from REO Speedwagon
Quote:But I know the preisthood
And talk is cheap when the story is good
And the tales grow taller on down the line
(OK, maybe I did change ONE word).This is happening today. Elder Holland was man enough to fess up when it came clear (or he was called out?) a “miracle” missionary story he passed on was quite the embellishment – or really was nothing at all before it was tweaked over and over. The church version
https://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-shares-account-of-missionary-speech-of-all-time-with-new-misson-presidents?lang=eng&_r=1 ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://web.archive.org/save/_embed/https://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-shares-account-of-missionary-speech-of-all-time-with-new-misson-presidents?lang=eng&_r=1 I also mentioned the embellished, “The Super Inspired mission president saves his whole mission from the Tsunami” story.
https://wheatandtares.org/2017/04/19/is-whitewashing-continuing-today/ ” class=”bbcode_url”> https://wheatandtares.org/2017/04/19/is-whitewashing-continuing-today/
Just to be clear about the differences in the stories, I did not believe that they were deceptions. In the story he went to an SS class where the teacher came off as a haughty “know it all” because he knew many insignificant details about the life of JS. A few weeks later he went to an SS class where the teacher seemed like a new member, he bore a simple powerful testimony of the prophet JS. Still later Elder Scott was reading in the BoM and found the following scripture:
Quote:“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.”
In the more focused telling it made it sound like Elder Scott went into SS and was mildly offended at the “know it all” teacher, then went straight to Gospel Principles and was touched by the inspiring but simple testimony of the GP teacher, then he felt an impression that “Wo unto the learned that think that they are wise for they shall be cast off”, then he retired to an unoccupied classroom where he received additional personal revelation. The basics of the story were all accurate.
He mainly collapsed the timeline (I believe) for dramatic effect. I see this as a story telling device and not deceitful in any way.
I was at a reg conf when Benson spoke at the Hersheypark Stadium before he became church president. Nelson spoke when I was at the MTC (but I didn’t shake his hand). Benson, I recall as lackluster. Nelson’s talk was on symbolism in the bible, and it was a great talk, but he seemed very condescending personality-wise. I’ve had three Oaks sightings: 1) a regional conference at the Tabernacle in SLC – he was very entertaining, 2) sat behind him at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and he laughed through the whole very funny performance in which Brian Vaughn had a dog on stage, 3) a stake conference in Singapore in 2013 which I blogged about here:
https://wheatandtares.org/2017/05/23/31537/ . He was very focused on women’s issues in that talk, and it was a mixed bag, but most of his truly inflammatory thoughts were given very speculatively.The ones I remember: 1) LeGrande Richards – when I was a youth in central Utah. Don’t remember anything except that he came across as a very good, caring man.
2) Bruce R. McConkie – in the MTC. Inspiring talk, but I don’t remember any actual details. Seemed a bit stiff and stuffy to me.
3) Jeffrey Holland – in Nauvoo at a stake conference. Wonderful talk. Passionate, insightful, deep, funny.
4) Quentin Cook – recently here in Bismarck. Wonderful talk. Spoke about his time as Stake President in San Francisco seeing gay people (including members) die, talking directly with them, and realizing how badly we had treated them. Said explicitly that we need to change that and love and embrace them, even if we can’t change our theology about same-sex sealings first.
Common theme: Good, sincere men with different personalities and views.
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