[Teachldsseminary] President Monson as boy

[Wayne Whitaker]

This reminded me of the story Pres. Monson tells which I found in the February 2002 Friend (and that article referenced the October 1996 Ensign, page 7):
 
"One winter day as Christmas approached, I thought back to an experience from my boyhood. I was eleven. Our Primary president, Melissa, was an older and loving gray-haired lady.
One day at Primary, Melissa asked me to stay behind and visit with her. The two of us sat in the otherwise empty chapel. She placed her arm about my shoulder and began to cry. Surprised, I asked her why she was crying. She replied: “I don’t seem to be able to encourage the Trail Builder [now Blazer] boys to be reverent during the opening exercises of Primary. Would you be willing to help me, Tommy?”  I promised her I would. Strangely to me, but not to Melissa, that ended any problem of reverence in that Primary. She had gone to the source of the problem—me. The solution was love."
 
He then goes on to talk of the power of love in bringing about change.  What a great example he is to us.
 
Becky
Brandon, FL
 
> From: pamjohnson at clearwire.net> To: teachldsseminary at latter-dayvillage.com> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 16:22:29 -0800> Subject: Re: [Teachldsseminary] New Presidency Called> > Just a quick personal note for some of you that may be struggling with a > student or a child - My mother grew up with Thomas S. Monson. To this day > she still refers to him as "Little Tommy Monson". No disrespect intended, > of course, just fond memories. As a youth, he was always the one that was > the first to be kicked out of Sunday School Class, or the one that was > always misbehaving and causing grief in class. When I think of this I feel > that there is hope for my outspoken students or even one of my sons that > struggled with every gospel teacher he ever had. If Little Tommy Monson > can become our prophet, there is certainly hope for our strugglers.> > Pam> Federal Way, WA> >