What would a prophet say to a 16 year old boy and his 12 year old brother should he meet their gaze as he crossed their path? "Now you be missionaries, alright?" These are the words that President Monson spoke to Michael and Landon Friday night July 25 as he looked them in the eyes and shook their hands, then turned and went on his way out of the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City. We had just finished attending a wonderful Pioneer Day concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Osmond Family.
When we arrived late at 7:15 PM, we felt lucky that our tickets were accepted and we were allowed to enter . We expected to end up in the top balcony somewhere. To our surprise, we were directed to seats on the floor, to the far right side and way down front a few seats from the end of the 2nd or 3rd row. We noticed our luck was continued since the row was roped off and had a reserved sign displayed. Little did we know that within 5 minutes we would witness a truly marvelous event before the concert began.
I noticed security personnel communicating with each other and then suddenly saw President Monson enter stage left (audience right) with his wife and others. I excitedly told the boys, "stand up, the Prophet is here!" We stood and others followed in respectful tradition. Within 30 seconds, the large auditorium went from a noisy level of chatter to absolute silence. The reverence was astonishing as he passed by us in quiet dignity. You could have heard a pin drop for minutes, and I knew he was within ear shot of us. In that moment of excitement I yearned to call out "We love you President Monson!", but quickly realized that the love and respect being demonstrated collectively by the reverence of 21,000 people was powerful evidence of that love and a unique and most appropriate way to express it. When the prophet was seated, I leaned over and told Michael and Landon that they had just witnessed 21,000 people bear their testimonies that there is a true and living prophet on the earth today. They were lucky enough to have been within 10 feet of him, and there he was sitting nearby and in view!
Landon remarked that he and Cody had shaken hands with President Monson at the Pioneer Day Rodeo a few years back when the Energy Solutions Arena was still named the Delta Center and President Monson was a member of the First Presidency. Michael sadly remarked that he had been blocked out by the crowd and his brothers had gone ahead without him. He missed out on that opportunity, but there would be no disappointment tonight!
The concert was a delightful performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square of pioneer hymns, American folk songs, and the Osmond Family commemorating their 50th year performing some of their most memorable hits. At one point near the end, after the Osmond's performed a particular number as a tribute to their parents, the audience was giving the Osmond's a standing ovation. President and Sister Monson were standing and applauding as well. The Osmond's were so touched that some of them were wiping tears of emotion from their eyes...particularly Merrill, Donnie and Marie. Merrill remarked that it was a humbling moment.
After the closing number and another standing ovation, we turned to exit our row. The two people sitting to our right squeezed through the rope to the row behind us in a move to get to the isle. The security person stopped them asked that we all exit the other direction up the opposite isle on our left. There were so many people exiting to the left that we just stood there at the end of our row with nothing between us and the isle the Prophet would exit the auditorium but the rope. When the Prophet approached we saw that he was shaking hands with a few people standing on the front row. Landon was preoccupied readying his cell phone camera to snap a picture of the prophet passing by. Then, in true President Monson reaching-out-to-the-one style, he stepped toward Landon and Michael and shook their hands. He issued them mission calls personally, 3 and 7 years early, by uttering the friendly challenge, "Now you be missionaries, alright?" I nudged the boys to respond positively but they just stood in amazement as the prophet turned and walked up the ramp to the stage exit. I teased them both that they had been called as missionaries but just didn't know where they would be sent yet.
What do the words my ears heard the Prophet speak mean to me? The lasting impression on my mind is that of all the things the prophet could say, and with his prophetic knowledge of where the world is in respect to the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, the most important thing he felt to communicate was to be a missionary....to give others the opportunity to have the blessings of the gospel....not in 3 or 7 years, but now, today, in the present. This message is universal to all members of the restored church who know the gospel and all Christians who have a testimony of the Savior. I have resolved to be a better missionary and to seek opportunity to testify to others. I have felt the urgency in the invitation of a true Prophet to do so. I am so grateful for this experience shared with two of my sons.
-Rob Kunzler
Some one on one
13 years ago
