Some Elder Eyring Thoughts
My first memory of Elder Henry B. Eyring was when I was a teenager of about 14 or so. We lived in rural Indiana, in a ward and stake that was very large spatially. Elder Eyring was assigned to preside at our stake conference. For some reason, during one of the sessions, my brother Adam and a few friends from our ward (was Brent there, too?) and I decided to sit on the front row of the chapel. I don't know what took us up there, but we had great seats. I can still remember looking up to him at the pulpit and realizing that this was an apostle of the Lord right in front of me.A few years later, this time while a student at BYU, I met Liz Eyring, Elder Eyring's daughter, through my brother Adam.Elder Eyring always seemed to be on campus and I saw him all the time walking around.When I was on my mission, he and Elder Holland spoke in a broadcast only for full-time missionaries. It was very powerful. I remember specifically two things from that broadcast:- Elder Holland: Every day for the rest of your life, you'll think of your mission. Make them good memories.
- Elder Eyring: (Actually two things) Teaching of the gospel should be so simple that an 8 year old ought to get it. He also shared the power of the word of God by using Alma 31:5. It was particularly powerful that day as he shared that verse and story, with broken voice from emotion, that I've never forgotten it.
Mom would always comment that she loves that Elder Eyring, a man of great stature and church responsibility, remains visibly emotional and close to the spirit. He does teach with great power and I'm excited that we'll get to hear more from him than the typical once every 6 months.
2 comments:
I like Elder Eyring too. I had a class with Liz and I remember the teacher had asked her to tell the class a little about their family life and what it was like to have him as a father, not just a church leader. The things she said made him seem more human. She didn't make him sound perfect although, she also didn't make him sound bad either. I remember two things she said: he was gone all the time and he had personal counsels with all the children.
From the first time I heard Elder Eyring speak, he became my favorite apostle. I have felt that he is the modern-day Ammon. So many times in the Book of Mormnon when you read stories about Ammon, he is often overcome with joy and sinks to the ground. It may seem silly to some, but to me it symbolizes that he never got too jaded with experiences of the
Spirit to lose the great joy he received upon his "real conversion". Elder Eyring still becomes very emotional in each speech. That doesn't mean the other apostles don't feel the Spirit, but for some reason, I appreciate Elder Erying's emotional responses. He's my modern-day Ammon. I was thrilled when he received the call.
It was a great conference with messages meant just for me. It made me feel like I could and should do better in so many ways in my life. I'm hoping this blog will be a little like Elder Erying's daily notes -- we ought to list the ways that God has touched us every single day.
Mom
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