In his talk “Mrs. Patton-The Story Continues” President Thomas S Monson recalls a talk that he gave in a past conference. The talk was addressed to Mrs. Patton who was the mother of a childhood friend of his. Arthur enlisted in the Navy when he was fifteen years old and went to fight in World War II. While he was serving, President Monson would go and visit his mother.
After serving for four years Arthur was lost at sea during a battle. He was only nineteen years old when he died. As a young man, President Monson went to comfort Mrs. Patton during this time of grieving. He shared with her the plan of salvation and the joy and comfort the gospel can bring during these difficult times. He shared scriptures with her.
Twenty years later he decided to address his talk to Mrs. Patton and again share the message of hope that the gospel brings to those that are grieving after the loss of a loved one. He did not think that Mrs. Patton would hear his words, since she was not a member of the church. He was surprised to receive a letter from her a few weeks later. Her neighbors, who were LDS, invited her to listen to the session of General Conference in which he spoke directly to her. The letter thanked him for the words of comfort and explained that he had answered many of her questions.
President Monson points out that it was not merely coincidence that Mrs. Patton was invited to listen to that session of conference, but rather the Lord’s hand guiding the events so that she could receive the comfort that the gospel can bring. President Monson says that the Lord watches out for each of us in a similar manner.
This is a wonderful talk. Not only does President Monson explain the details of the story, he also shares the words of comfort he gave about losing a loved one. It is true that Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us. I hope that you will take the time to read this talk.
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