Wouldn’t it be great if we could all sit down with a prophet or an apostle and get to know them one on one? I would love that opportunity! Although, it would probably be a little scary at first, I can bet that they are all loving, personable men that would instantly make us feel at ease. While we may not all have that chance, I did run across a new portion of the church website that they are in the process of creating where you can read a short bio about each member of the first presidency and apostles. How exciting!
So far, they have the first presidency’s biographies, and President Packer’s, but I’m sure more bios are coming soon. Here are a few things I learned from reading President Monson’s biography.
*What kind of painting he has hanging in his office and why.
*That he caused his primary president to cry seeing as he was a little irreverent in primary on occasion.
*He became a Bishop at the age of 22 and mission president at the age of 31
These are just a few of the things that you can learn about reading his biography. There are stories, and pictures, and church history there that we shouldn’t ignore. So, take a chance to learn more about a prophet or apostle when you have a second.
I believe getting to know these great men is a way that we can strengthen our testimonies of their divine callings, and be able to get more out of the conference talks that they so diligently prepare twice a year. To know of some of their weaknesses gives them more depth. To know, for example, that a current Prophet of the Lord is not perfect and even made his primary president cry as a young boy makes me love him even more. I know he is a real person, with flaws, but is living his life so righteously that he was entrusted by the Lord to become a prophet.
Reading these biographies is also a great way to share who these men are with your children. Think about incorporating some of these biographies into your family home evening night. Create a game out of it. Collect some of these fun facts and see who can remember from week to week which prophet or apostle you are speaking of. This will be a fun way to engage your children and make these men seem more real to them as well. Because, they are, after all, just like the rest of us. God’s children, trying to do their best from day to day.
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