Appreciation for Elder Andersen

I feel close to Elder Andersen, because of his concern over serving a mission. I too had doubts about myself prior to serving my mission. I didn't know if I could be as perfect as the missionaries seemed to me.  They spoke in sacrament without preparation, they taught any class anytime, they seemed like spiritual supermen. How would I be able to learn all of those scriptures and teach adults? As Elder Andersen, prior to my mission, the Lord taught me that He was aware of my concern and He would qualify me.     ~Richard Meservy~

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I appreciate Elder Andersen’s object lesson using a butterfly:

Four Spiritual Lessons We Can Learn From the Monarch Butterfly

*All are children of God with eternal possibilities available to them.

*To become what God would have an individual become, they will need the gifts of the Savior and their own correct choices.

*Spiritual gifts and sensitivities are very delicate, and must be refined.

*As an individual sees beyond themselves, they begin to see who the Lord would have them become.

~Misti Latham~

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I really connected with a talk given by Elder Andersen in 2009 where he said “You don’t know everything, but you know enough!”.  How true is that statement.  Whether serving in a church calling, as a parent or in our career, we can use this simple but true teaching.  I appreciate this knowledge shared by Elder Andersen.

~Troy Smithson~

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Elder Andersen has taught us that we should always stand up for what we believe and that we can turn to Him for help.

“I remember praying in my mind that I would say the words that needed to be spoken,” he recalls. “What followed was a little miracle for me. I told them more than I knew. I felt the power of the Lord as He guided me through sensitive explanations and the sharing of my deep convictions. I could feel the Spirit of the Lord as I spoke. At the conclusion they expressed their appreciation and quietly acknowledged their respect for what I believed.

“I learned that there is a power and influence in this sacred work beyond ourselves and that it is worth defending. I understood that as we are true and faithful, ‘ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us]’ (1 Peter 3:15), the Lord will bless us beyond our own abilities.”

~Katrina Berntsen~

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One of my favorite quotes from Elder Andersen was from his talk “What Thinks Christ of Me?” He says, “In this turbulent environment, we rejoice in being disciples of Jesus Christ. We see the Lord’s hand all around us. Our destination is beautifully set before us. ‘This is life eternal,’ Jesus prayed, ‘that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’ Being a disciple in these days of destiny will be a badge of honor throughout the eternities.”

I like this because even though life can be full of trials, we can find hope and joy in living the gospel. From the last sentence I understand that our missions here and now are difficult, but very important and I feel humbled to know my Heavenly Father trusted me enough to send me now to do all I can to help prepare for and possibly usher in the second coming. 

I am grateful for Elder Andersen’s testimony, faith, and lessons we can learn from his life. He truly is a man of God.

~Jill Meservy~