A prophet in person

I don't go to the BYU devotionals very often. I usually watch them in the newsroom on a big screen TV. Riley goes every week (unless it is some dance thing) and sits in the same area. He saved me a seat this past Tuesday so I could be in the same room with our prophet, Thomas S. Monson. While I was still quite a ways away from him, I could feel his spirit. I could feel the Spirit. In a room that large with probably 20,000 people, I could still feel the Spirit. It was uplifting.

President Monson is a jovial man. He tells stories. He must have hundreds of stories, some of which we've heard several times. Tuesday he told three stories I've never heard before. One was of a man who went to Oxford to continue his education. He decided he wanted to read the Book of Mormon again to know for sure it was true. He had read it seven times before, all at the request of someone else - seminary teacher, mission president, etc. This time it was his decision. His schedule was busy but he decided to devote an hour from 11 p.m. to midnight every day to reading the Book of Mormon. He lived in a drafty, cold building built in the 1400s and had just a small space heater in his room. He would kneel in prayer before reading and after, to ask about the truthfulness of the book. He said as he neared the end of 2nd Nephi, he got the most encompassing, warm feeling in his room. He was overcome with a realization the book was true. He received an answer to his prayers.

Another story told of a Catholic woman who used to be a Morman basher. She wrote President Monson to make him aware of two wonderful LDS men who cared for her sister as she lost her husband. The neighbors of this sister brought in meals and the men cared for the man who was dying. She was amazed at the love and care these men gave her sister's husband and commended our church.

The third story was about a young missionary serving in Canada. He grew ill and had to have surgery. He was placed in a hospital ward with six beds, one man to each bed. As he laid in his bed he taught the other five men about the gospel. On surgery day, the young missionary was taken away. A hospital worker brought breakfast in to the remaining five men. One by one they said they weren't eating that day or they weren't hungry. The woman stood before them, hands on hips, and asked what was going on. The men responded they had been taught by the young man about prayer and fasting and were fasting for him as he had surgery. The young man survived the operation.

I love our prophet. I love his gentle ways, his faith promoting stories and his love for all people, not just Latter-day Saints. He leads the Church on earth and receives guidance from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us all be better people, to be more Christ-like, to be good stewards of this earth and most importantly, to return to our Father.

Being in the same room with a modern day prophet helped my testimony grow. I'm glad I made the effort to actually be in the building that day.