An Apostle

Friday my wife and I with the rest of the mission had a real treat. David A. Bednar of the quorum of the twelve came to visit us. We all met at a stake center. He arrived about two. We had all been standing out in the sun waiting for him for about an hour. We took pictures together and we moved to the cultural hall of the stake center.

For two hours he involved us in a very personal way. Asking our thoughts and feelings and following up with in-depth questions. Though we were on the front row, Chrise and I felt pretty shielded from participation because he was only calling upon the younger elders and sisters. Then everything changed. He said, “Elder and Sister Fink, I would like you to stand and face the crowd.” We were shocked that he even knew our names and a little embarrassed. While we were facing the one hundred and seventy or so missionaries, he asked my wife how long we had been married (40 years), how many children we had (4), and how many grand children (5). Then he asked her if it was hard to leave them. Tears filled my wife’s eyes and mine and all she could do was nod. Then it was my turn. He asked me why we had decided to come on a mission. I said that since I had left my first mission I had always wanted to return, that we wanted to bless the lives of others, that we had prayed about it and felt it was something that we wanted to do, and finally that we wanted to bless our family. He asked if anyone like a stake president or bishop had asked us to come to which I replied no. Elder Bednar then said to the missionaries, “This couple is living the law of consecration by being here. There could and should be thousands more couples like this, but there are not.” Then he had us sit down and face him and said, if I can remember correctly, “I bless and promise you, Elder and Sister Fink, that your grandchildren will bless the day that you decided to go on a mission. It will have a wonderful influence in their lives.”

After the conference while we were waiting for elders and sisters to file out ahead of us, a hand tugged at my shoulder and I turned to find myself facing Elder Bednar. He thanked me for letting him use us as an example. All I could blurt out was, “no thank you, Elder Bednar (I think I called him president).” Then he shook my wife’s hand and she hugged him. He told her that what he had said was not just words, but were heartfelt and inspired.

During the conference, Elder Bednar said that having an apostle with such a small group was a once in a life time experience. To have an apostle of the lord address us personally and use us as an example of a righteous couple living the law of consecration left Chrise and I floating.