"Here are two firm chairs, sit down you are going to need them!" January 16, 2008

January 16th
Kaye and I arrived early to President Monson's office. He introduced us to his two secretaries before he invited us into his office. We went into his office and he exclaimed, "Here are two firm chairs, sit down you are going to need them."

Kaye kept on noticing his hands. He is such a big man, but his hands are small and smooth and soft, with very tapered fingers. They are not big bulky manly hands like you would expect on that size of a man.

President Monson looked at me and said, "Let's see, you are 50." I replied, "No, I turned 51." He exclaimed, "You sure haven't aged well". We were still nervous and not sure how to react.

He asked us what the most common name in the phone book is. I told Kaye to give this a try. She was totally blank and scared so she bounced it back to me. I guessed Johnson. President Monson answered, "When I was a printer it was Jones, but now it is Johnson." I replied that I wouldn't want to miss the first question, and President Monson said, "Oh, it wasn't a test." That sort of put us at ease which is what I think he was trying to do.

INSIGHTS, STORIES, AND ADVICE:

He talked about a missionary who was having a hard time learning Spanish at the MTC. The missionary went into the MTC office and told them he couldn't learn Spanish. At that time President Monson was over the MTC and he gave instruction for them to switch the missionary over to Japanese. The missionary spent less than one day in Japanese classes before pleading for a return to Spanish.

President Monson kept naming people he was good friends with, which were in his same age group, then would ask if we knew them.

Over and over again he said, "Well enough of the stories, we will get along with this call," then he would proceed telling more stories.

While President Monson was serving as a mission president, a missionary came to him wanting to go home because his girlfriend was engaged. This missionary had four months left on his mission and he wanted to go home to try and break up the engagement. President Monson kept on encouraging him to stay and the missionary kept on saying, “But you don't understand, she is engaged. You don't understand she is my girlfriend. You don't understand we're supposed to get married. You just don't understand President!”

President Monson told him, “If she is the one you are supposed to marry, you will finish your mission and get married.” After finishing his mission, he returned home and the girlfriend was still engaged. He went straight to her home. A kiss happened between the missionary and the girl. She broke off the engagement and married the missionary. Some people asked President Monson, "What about the other guy?" and he said, "I don't care about him he wasn't one of my missionaries."

President Monson (while a general authority) received a call from a mission president, asking him to tour his mission. No one had toured this mission president's mission for the last 2 years. A general authority usually tours a mission once a year and interviews every missionary. He was upset because “These general authorities, who had priesthood assignments to tour missions were not fulfilling there priesthood duties.” They had totally dropped their assignments. President Monson turned and ask me, "You wouldn't run a business like that, would you, President Macdonald?" I explained, "I always found that it is easier to motivate those I have paid, than those who are volunteers." President Monson slammed the desk. “They are not volunteers. They were called of God just as I am and as you are." He said this with much power and strength. Then very humbly and meekly he said, “Sorry for slamming the desk.”

President Monson told us how he wrote letters to families on Mother's Day and suggested that we should do something with the parents, leaders, etc, to occasionally compliment them on the great things that were taking place.

One of the elders in President Monson’s mission took the mission car and drove home to Arizona. The missionary called him feeling bad about taking the mission car. President Monson made the missionary drive the car back to Toronto. He got out a road map and mapped out the missionary’s trip back to the mission and had him stop along the way at homes of bishops for food, sleep, etc. President Monson made all the contacts. The missionary came back and finished his mission.

A missionary took the train home to California without permission. The train went through Ogden on it's way to California. President Monson found out the missionary had a grandfather in Ogden and had the family make arrangements for the grandfather to meet his grandson at the train station. His grandfather met him, bought him a one-way ticket back and put him on the train. He finished his mission.

If a missionary had problems, President Monson would have the missionary come to the mission home. The missionary would have dinner with the family and then be put to work the next morning painting the hall closet two or three coats. That closet got painted a lot. President Monson would have them in the mission home for some family time and a home cooked meal, because that is what they needed, then send them back out to the mission field.

When President Monson would go to the mission reunions of the mission he presided over 50 years ago the spirit would be so kind to him. It would help him to remember names and a little bit about each of the missionaries. It was fun to listen to him share these experiences. He has an amazing memory even when the Spirit isn’t helping him.

President Monson shared a story that taught us that sister missionaries are valuable. When he was touring a mission he asked how many missionaries they had and the missionary said we have 20 missionaries and 4 sisters. President Monson replied, “The correct answer is 24 missionaries.”

He asked us if we were bringing children with us, we aren't. He told us he brought his children with him, since he was about 33 years old. When President Monson was called as a mission president by S. Dilworth Young he had two children. S. Dilworth Young said that isn't enough. They had a third child in the mission field. President Monson gave a rare insight that his wife was shy. Talks were uncomfortable for her

“Sometime around the end of February or early March you will get your assignment. We will try and push this along as quickly as possibly, although, President Hinckley and President Eyring haven't been a mission president, so they wouldn't care.”

“Sometimes a missionary will come to me and say, ‘Do you remember me President Monson.’ Then Heavenly Father will bless me with information, of the missionary’s area of service, something about his family and then will come their name.”

Be aware of depression and discouragement that it might lead to suicide. It doesn't happen as much as it use to, but be aware.

THE CALL:

President Monson extended the call at the beginning of the meeting. He said, “You are here by called as a mission president of an English speaking mission.” Without waiting for us to respond he went on telling us stories. After a few stories I told President Monson we accept the calling, and he said, “I know,” very matter-of-factly.

He informed us that we had three questions we would want answered. He was right. He then gave us the questions:

What can I tell?

Who can I tell?

When can I tell?

Next he gave us the answers:

You have been called to preside over an English speaking mission.

Whoever you want to.

Whenever you want to. I wrote the letter 14 years ago, and you will get it in the mail as a formal call. You can wait until then if you want to, but…then he repeated the question followed by the answers again. It was clear in our minds.

On our way out of President Monson’s office he mentioned to us that one of his secretaries was a young girl when her parents were mission presidents and I replied, you must be home about 20 years. Clearly the woman was in her 60s and President Monson replied, "You will be good on the mission". We all had a good laugh.

What a wonderful hour and a half! We received much of practical and spiritual advice that will help us. Just to be with President Monson and soak up the spirit of the man was a strengthening experience that will be a help to our lives as we serve in this capacity.