President Monson

Last Friday was the funeral of one of my heroes: President Monson spent his life in the service of others. And I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with a memory as good as his. He remembered names and stories and poetry like no one I have ever seen. And he was always one of my very favorite speakers. I loved the sound of his voice and the way he would chuckle during stories in his talks. Most of all I loved the way he lived his life, always in the service of others. He was a generous and kind man who truly loved the Lord, which was evidenced by the way he loved and served others.

One of my favorite personal memories with President Monson was the time he talked to my mom in Spanish as he shook her hand. As the Honorary Consul El Salvador, I was invited to attend an event with various religious leaders and dignitaries and to that meeting, I took my mother who was visiting in Salt Lake.  

We were seated two rows behind him, President Uchtdorf was with him too. This was inside the Cathedral of the Madeline so as we waited for them to start, I knew that would be my only chance to shake his hand so I told my mom, let’s go meet the Prophet. I introduced myself and my mother to them. He was his usual sweet gentleman as he smiled to my mother and said: “Vaya con Dios.” I could go on and on about this great man and the stories of how he impacted my life and the example he set, but instead I will simply share just a few favorite quotes from talks he has given over the years that have inspired me in my life:

“Life’s journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny.”

“May we maintain the courage to defy the consensus. May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”

“Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty.”

“Work will work when wishy washy wishing won’t.”

“Stick to a task ’til it sticks to you. . .for beginners are many, but finishers few.”

“There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.”

“Our task is to become our best selves. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final.”

“…do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle.”

“Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently.”

“”To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, ‘How might we achieve these goals?’ I answer, ‘By getting a true perspective of who we really are!’ We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created.”

“Prayer can solve more problems, alleviate more suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and contentment in the human soul than can be obtained in any other way.”

“There is a guiding hand above all things. Often when things happen, it’s not by accident. One day, when we look back at the seeming coincidences of our lives, we will realize that perhaps they weren’t so coincidental after all.”

“[W]e do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He [God] was always there beside you.”

“Having gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not delivering it.”

“When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be.”

“Perhaps when we face our maker, we will not be asked, ‘How many positions did you hold,’ but rather, ‘How many people did you help?”

“Never let a problem to be solved, become more important than a person to be loved.”

“Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”

“I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness.”

“Don’t save something only for a special occasion. Every day of your life is a special occasion.”

“It is the immutable law that the more you give away, the more you receive. You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”

“This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. . . . I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.”

President Thomas Spencer Monson truly was a great man, and one of my heroes. When you go to my Facebook page you will noticed all the things I have posted about him because he led an exemplary life, and I am forever grateful for the impact he has had on mine. If you have not yet had time to watch his Funeral service, I highly recommend that you do. You may want to consider it as part of your Family Home Evening activity.  I have already watched it twice, is an hour of your day well spent. 

Love,

Vero