Dear family,
April 30th, 2013
Last Tuesday April 23rd I had a wonderful experience
at the temple. I had gone early to do an
endowment for a relative from 1573! I
was so excited. I went through the name
booth, check. I went through the check
person at the door to the endowment room, and I sat through the session. As I took the name card out of my pocket to
go through the veil, to my surprise it hadn’t received any of the other
ordinances. Of course I couldn’t take
this person through the veil, so I left the room to find an ordinance worker to
erase the red check mark and then prepare to do the baptism, confirmation, and
initiatory work needed. I was a little bummed to have wasted two hours until I
saw an ordinance worker whom I felt I recognized. I looked at her nametag. Beverly Anderson. I said to her, “You were my beehive advisor
when I was 13!”(That was exactly 45 years ago.)
She said,” In Laguna Beach?” “Yes”,
I said. “What is your name?” She asked.
“It was Suzie Knudsen”. “Oh
Suzie! Sit here, I want to tell you a
story about what I remember about you. I’ve
told this story 100 times.” She took my
hand and sat me next to her and told this story.
She remembered a class where she was teaching the second
verse of the hymn, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”. She was a little frustrated by the meaning of
the words of the verse. She said I
raised my hand and said I know what they mean.
She then quoted the second verse of the song and stopping at each
stanza, she gave my reply to what each stanza meant.
“He lives to grant me rich supply; He lives to guide me with
His eye.”
(He watches over me all the time.)
“He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.”
(Everyone needs someone to talk to.)
“He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears.”
(Can’t remember what she said.)
“He lives to calm my troubled heart. He lives all blessings to impart.”
(Can’t remember what she said. I’ll have to ask her next time I see her.)
I was amazed; amazed that she had committed this incident to
memory and used it many times over the years; amazed that I said such things
that were so noteworthy to this woman that I admired so very much. I told her that I didn’t remember this incident,(although
what follows suggests why this verse would have meant so much to me) but that
an event far more meaningful to me unfolded at that time.
My memory of Beverly Anderson is cherished because my mom had
a little nervous breakdown when I was 13 and Beverly Anderson was my advisor. I was emotionally devastated by this
event. My mom was the glue that held our
family together. She was who I counted
on. She was the only foundation I felt I
had at home. That foundation crumbled
for a time. I was so scared and didn’t
know what to do or what to think. I was
worried about my mother. I didn’t know who
to talk to or what to say or think. My family
was in serious turmoil and I couldn’t process what was happening.
Somewhere in my 13 year old mind I thought of Beverly
Anderson. She was someone I looked up
to. She was happy, funny, and
comfortable in her own skin. She
radiated faith in Jesus Christ and a true testimony of His gospel. Somehow I found the courage to say something
to her. It wasn’t much, but it was enough
to relieve some of the burden I was carrying.
One Tuesday night at mutual, and I can remember exactly where I was
standing in the foyer when I spoke to her, I told her that my mother needed a
friend and would she be my mother’s friend. I remember feeling relieved, like I had passed
the burden to someone else. Beverly doesn’t
remember the conversation. I remember
she didn’t really respond too much at the time, and that was okay. I just needed to say the words I guess.
Beverly Anderson Is the only YW leader I remember from my
youth. The Lord gave her to me at a time
when I desperately needed her. He knew
my need even before I did, and He provided for me.
Thought you guys might enjoy hearing this.
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