President Thomas S.

Monson
Sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
A Supplement to the Ensign
 President
Thomas S. Monson IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MASTER
BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
O
ver the course of his many
callings in the Church,
President Thomas S.
Monson has moved from office to
office, location to location. With
every move he has carefully taken
with him a particular painting. He
has had it since he was a bishop in the 1950s. He took it with
him when he presided over the Canadian Mission, head-
quartered in Toronto. It now hangs in the office he occupies
as President of the Church. The painting is a striking image
of the Lord Jesus Christ by famed artist Heinrich Hofmann.
The painting is more than a decoration for the office
wall. It is more than a reminder of who is the “chief corner
stone” (Ephesians 2:20) of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. It is more than a declaration
that the man called to be President of the Church
is expected to be chief among the living wit-
nesses of the Savior. The painting represents
an ideal—the Master after whom Thomas
Monson has modeled his life. “I love that
painting,” President Monson said as he gazed
at it yet again. “I feel strength in having it near
me. Look at the kindness in those eyes. Look
at the warmth of expression. When fac-
ing difficult situations, I often look
2
at it and ask myself, ‘What would
He do?’ Then I have tried to
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE MONSON FAMILY, EXCEPT AS NOTED; PHOTOGRAPH OF PRESIDENT AND SISTER MONSON BY CRAIG DIMOND; BACKGROUND © PHOTOSPIN
respond accordingly.”
That loyalty to the Lord, that
constant reference to the Master’s
example, that determination to walk
the path marked by the Savior—
these are the principal characteris-
tics of Thomas S. Monson’s life and
leadership. Many of the stories about his discipleship are
well-known. This is the lad who gave up a treasured toy
because he thought another boy needed it more and gave
away his two pet rabbits so that
a friend’s family could have
Christmas dinner. This is the
young bishop who took great
care to minister to 84 widows in
his ward—and kept them in his
heart for decades. This is the
General Authority who was
Top: A teenage Thomas Monson (second from left)
with members of his family, including his mother
and father (seated in front). Above and left: As a boy,
President Monson was known as “Tommy.” Opposite
page: President Thomas S. Monson with his wife,
Frances, at the Nauvoo Illinois Temple.
 MILESTONES IN THE
LIFE OF PRESIDENT
THOMAS S. MONSON

Aug. 21, 1927

Born in Salt Lake City,
Utah, to G. Spencer and
Gladys Condie Monson.

1945–46
Served in the U.S.
Navy Reserve.

attentive enough to the whisperings of the
Holy Ghost to know when a meeting schedule
should be interrupted to minister to a child.
Those who know him well understand
that he has not done these things simply
because his parents expected him to do so or
because the widows were the responsibility
of a bishop or because it was his role as an
Apostle. He has given this kind of selfless
service because that is who he is. Thomas S.
1948
Graduated cum laude from
Monson does those things because they are
the University of Utah.
what his Savior would have done.
In short, President Monson is a true disci- Began professional work
ple of that “Jesus of Nazareth . . . who went with Deseret News.
about doing good” (Acts 10:38), a scripture
President Monson often quotes. His responsi-
bilities include a volume of administrative
decision making and paperwork that would
be staggering to most men. But that volume
has never made him lose his focus on those

E N S I G N JUNE 2008 3
 Above: Carrying a whom his Exemplar would serve. His life has
plate of hot food to a been one extended sequence of reaching out
lonely neighbor was to the one, of encouraging the disadvantaged,
just one of many ways of remembering those whom it is easy to for-
young Tommy Monson get. Perhaps no one in the leadership of the
learned to serve. Church in recent years has so honored the
Opposite page: divine injunction to “succor the weak, lift up
President Monson the hands which hang down, and strengthen
(pictured with his son the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).
Clark) learned to love
fishing as a boy and The Beginning
later carried on the To know the man Thomas Spencer Monson
tradition with his has become, it is important to know his roots
children. and the environment that nurtured him.
He was born on August 21, 1927, the first
son and second child of G. Spencer and Gladys
Condie Monson. On his father’s side, he is
of Swedish and English ancestry, and on his
mother’s side, Scottish. His great-grandfather
was Mons Okeson, and so, according to the
pattern of Swedish surnames, his grandfather
was Nels Monson. Beginning with his father,
the family surname followed the common
American pattern, remaining as Monson.
President Monson bears the given names of
4
his maternal grandfather, Thomas Sharp
Condie, and his father, Spencer Monson.
President Monson grew up on the west
side of Salt Lake City in an area not known for
affluent or influential families, but he was sur-
rounded there by charitable, hard-working
men and women, particularly in his own
home. His family lived not far from the rail-
road tracks, and their home was familiar to
many of the transients who traveled the rails
during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
When these travelers—some only young men
in their teens—knocked at the Monson back
door, the family knew that Gladys Monson
would invite them to sit at the kitchen table
while she prepared a sandwich and poured
a glass of milk to go with it. At other times it
TOP LEFT: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINA SMITH
was young Tommy’s task to carry plates of
hot food prepared by his mother to a lonely
neighbor, “Old Bob,” who lived in a house
provided for him by Tom’s grandfather. The
Monson neighborhood was filled with such
recipients of Christian charity.
Often on Sunday afternoons young Tom
accompanied his father as he picked up
“Uncle Elias” to take him for a ride around of the newspaper company’s Deseret
the city. President Monson remembers that Press. During his career he gave exactly
his father would tenderly carry his frail uncle, the same care and attention to his print-
crippled by arthritis, to the car and place the ing tasks that he had seen his father
older man in the front seat, where he would demonstrate years before.
be able to enjoy the best view. “The drive was
brief and the conversation limited, but oh, Boyhood in a Close Family Oct. 7, 1948
what a legacy of love!” President Monson Pictures of young Tommy show a hand- Married Frances Beverly
recalls. “Father never read to me from the some lad with a lively, engaging expression Johnson in the Salt Lake
Bible about the good Samaritan. Rather, he and an occasional twinkle of impishness in Temple.
took me with him and Uncle Elias in that old his eye. He would be the first to admit that
1928 Oldsmobile and provided a living lesson he was a typical boy. He relates this story
I have always remembered.” about an experience in Primary:
Memorable too was the fatherly example “During my Trekker year [a class for 10-
of hard work. G. Spencer Monson was known year-olds], I remember that our deportment
to finish every task he started and to do the in Primary was not always as it should be. I
job right. He was manager of a printing com- had a lot of energy and found it difficult to sit
pany, and at an early age, young Tom began patiently in a class. Melissa Georgell was our
learning the business. Printing management ward Primary president. One day she asked
May 7, 1950
would become his career. Following gradua- me if I would visit with her. We sat on the
Sustained as bishop of
tion (with honors) in 1948 from the University front row of the benches in the chapel, and
the Sixth-Seventh Ward in
of Utah with a degree in business manage- she began to cry. She then told me that she
the Temple View Stake,
ment, he became an advertising executive was sad because the boys in particular
Salt Lake City.
for the Church-owned Deseret News daily did not behave during Primary opening
newspaper. (A firm believer in lifelong exercises. Innocently, I asked, ‘May I 1953
learning, he would later earn a master’s help, Sister Georgell?’ Appointed sales manager
degree in business administration— “With a smile on her face of Deseret Press.
while serving in the Quorum of and a twinkle in her eye, she
June 26, 1955
the Twelve!) He responded, ‘Would you?’
Sustained as second
worked in the “I told her I would. The
counselor in the Temple
newspaper and Primary’s disciplinary
View Stake presidency.
printing industry problems ceased that
for 11 years, until moment,” he laughs.
he was called in At 500 South and 200
1959 to preside over the West in Salt Lake City,
Canadian Mission. After Thomas Condie had
his service as mission built four houses for
president, he returned his daughters and their
to a position as families. In “Condie’s
general manager Terrace,” as the area

E N S I G N JUNE 2008 5
 1958 became known, Tommy Monson was always
Named assistant manager surrounded by family, feeling free to visit in
of Deseret Press. any of his cousins’ homes almost as though
they were his own. He enjoyed visits to the
1959–62
Condie family farm out in Granger, an area of
Served as president of the
the Salt Lake Valley that was rural then but is
Canadian Mission, head-
now covered by subdivisions and shopping
quartered in Toronto.
areas. Until his mid-teens, when summer jobs
Feb. 1, 1962 began to take priority, he dearly loved spend-
Sustained as a high ing time at the family cabin in Provo Canyon’s
councilor in the Valley Vivian Park, about 60 miles (95 km) from
View Stake. home. There he played with cousins in the
outdoors, swam in the river (once saving the
life of a young woman who was drowning),
and it was there he learned to love fishing, a
pastime he has enjoyed all his life.
He also learned to enjoy hunting ducks
and other game birds, but over time nurturing
and protecting birds would become much
more the norm for him. As a boy he had been
fascinated by pigeons and began to raise them
at home. Eventually he would raise prize-
Oct. 4, 1963
winning birds. In fact, his pigeons were the
Sustained as a member of
key to some lasting lessons in leadership.
the Quorum of the Twelve
For example, when young Tom Monson was
Apostles.
president of the teachers quorum in his
1966 ward, he was thrilled when the quorum
Received University of adviser inquired about his interest in
Utah’s Distinguished raising birds. The adviser then asked,
Alumnus Award. “How would you like me to give you a
pair of purebred Birmingham
Roller pigeons?” The
female of the
pair was
special, the adviser explained; she had only
one eye, the other eye having been damaged
by a cat. On his adviser’s instructions, he kept
them in his own pigeon loft for about 10 days,
then let them fly free to see if they would
return. The male came back, but the female
flew away—back to the adviser’s home. When
Tom went to retrieve her, the adviser talked
with him about a boy in the quorum who was
not active. Tom replied, “I’ll have him at quo-
rum meeting this week.” He took the pigeon
home, but the next time he released the pair,
she flew once again to the adviser’s home.
When Tom retrieved the pigeon this time, the
adviser talked about another boy who had not
been coming to quorum meetings. Each time
the pigeon was released, she returned to the
adviser’s home, and each time
Tom went to retrieve her, there
would be a conversation
about another boy.
“I was a grown man,”
President Monson recalls,
“before I fully realized that,
indeed, Harold, my adviser,
had given me a special pigeon,
the only bird in his loft he knew
would return every time she was
released. It was his inspired way of having

6
 an ideal personal priesthood interview with Opposite page:
the teachers quorum president every two President Monson
weeks. Because of those interviews and that has enjoyed raising
old one-eyed pigeon, every boy in that teach- Birmingham Roller
ers quorum became active.” pigeons. Above:
PHOTOGRAPH OF PIGEON BY TAMRA H. RATIETA; LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY RAVELL CALL/DESERET NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED

Coming to Manhood
By his mid-teens, World War II was an
inevitable part of the future for young men
his age. Tom graduated from high school
and enrolled at the University of Utah. As he
approached his 18th birthday, it seemed cer-
tain he would be drafted into military service,
so he chose to enlist in the United States
Navy. A decision he made on enlistment had a
profound effect on his future: he elected to
sign up in the Navy Reserve. This meant that
shortly after the end of the war, when military
forces were being trimmed back, his active
service ended. Thus he was able to return
home and resume his college career—and
also resume his courtship of Frances Beverly
Johnson. (He confesses that at the time the
Demanding Church
service came early to
latter of these two pursuits was far more President Monson, who
important than the former!) was called as a bishop
Tom and Frances had met during his first at age 22 and as an
year at the university. His relationship with Apostle at age 36.
her family was cemented the first time he was Above left: Frances
introduced to them. As Tom came to call, and Thomas Monson
Frances’s father produced a picture of two with their three
Latter-day Saint missionaries from earlier children, Thomas,
years, both dressed in top hats. He pointed Clark, and Ann.
to one of the men in the photo and asked if
Tom were related to this Monson. Yes, Tom
replied, that was his father’s uncle Elias. Tears
came to the eyes of Frances’s father as he
explained that Elder Elias Monson had been
instrumental in his family’s conversion to the
gospel. Tom smiled inwardly, knowing this

E N S I G N JUNE 2008 7
 Above: President courtship was off to a particularly good start.
Monson visited the Thomas Monson and Frances Johnson
Tongan Mission in were married on October 7, 1948, in the Salt
1965. Opposite page, Lake Temple.
from top: President Sister Monson has never known a time
Monson has a long when her husband was not busily serving in
record of service in the Church. “Tom was serving as ward clerk,
Scouting. He helped then as superintendent of the YMMIA when we
the Church obtain were first married, and he has gone from one
permission to build the assignment to another since then,” she says
Freiberg Germany with a smile. He has been involved in promi-
Temple (shown here nent Church leadership roles constantly since
during the open house May of 1950, when he was called as bishop of
in 1985). He was his ward at the age of 22. “It has never been a
appointed in 1981 sacrifice to see my husband doing the Lord’s
by U.S. president work,” Sister Monson says. “It has blessed me,
Ronald Reagan to the and it has blessed our children. He always
President’s Task Force knew that if it was for the Church, I expected
for Private Sector him to do what he had to do.”
Initiatives. President Monson said his wife’s support
has been essential in his ministry. “I have
never known Frances to complain once of
my Church responsibilities,” he says. “I have
been gone many days and many nights, and
I have rarely been able to sit with her in
the congregation. But there is no one like
her—absolutely no one. She is in every way
8
supportive and is a woman of quiet and
profoundly powerful faith.”
She was, he acknowledges, instrumental
in maintaining a strong home environment
for their three children: Thomas Lee, Ann
Frances, and Clark Spencer Monson. Those
three children and their spouses have brought
President and Sister Monson eight grand-
children and four great-grandchildren.
Clark S. Monson, their son, says that even
though his dad had to travel frequently for
Church business and was gone many week-
ends, he “always made time for his children,
and he continues to do so today. I never felt
deprived of time with Dad. When he was
home, he would play games with us and take
us out to get ice cream. In the summer he
would have more free time, and we would
spend this time together in Provo Canyon at
the family cabin. I spent a lot of time as a boy
fishing with my father. I can’t think of a better
way for a father to spend time with a son.”
President and Sister Monson’s daughter,
Ann Monson Dibb, says she always under-
stood that one of the best ways to serve and
honor her father was to serve and honor her
mother. Her father, she says, has always been
 loving and supportive of his children and now 1971
his grandchildren. “My boys have enjoyed Received Boy Scouts
helping Grandpa mow the lawn,” she says. of America’s Silver
“They loved working alongside him.” And she Beaver Award.
adds, “Everyone in the family enjoys sitting
1974
around a campfire at the family cabin, roasting
Received master of
marshmallows and listening to Grandpa tell and, somewhat miraculously, has been
business administration
stories.” Her father has always been generous able to speak at each of their funerals—all
from Brigham Young
in sharing what he has learned, she says. 84 of them! He still makes regular visits to
University.
What he has learned came through experi- local rest homes and convalescent centers, vis-
ence gained in hard work, beginning when he iting with folks he met when “his” widows and Apr. 27, 1975
was very young. Any man, for example, might other friends were staying in those facilities. Rededicated the German
have been intimidated by receiving the mantle “My father lives three scriptures from Democratic Republic
of bishop at such a young age. It was a large James,” says Sister Dibb. “First, James 1:22: (East Germany) for
ward, with 1,080 members, 84 of those being ‘Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers missionary work.
widows who needed a bishop’s attention. But only.’ Second, James 1:25: ‘A doer of the work,
1978
Bishop Monson wasted no time being pre- this man shall be blessed in his deed.’ And
Received Boy Scouts of
occupied with the load; he prayed and he went third, James 1:27: ‘Pure religion and undefiled
America’s highest award,
to work. He served, he loved, he strengthened; before God and the Father is this, To visit the
the Silver Buffalo.
it was his duty, but it was also the course his fatherless and widows in their affliction, and
PHOTOGRAPH OF SILVER BEAVER AWARD BY MATTHEW REIER; PHOTOGRAPH AT FREIBERG GERMANY TEMPLE BY TIMOTHY BROSNAHAN JR

heart dictated. He was “on the Lord’s errand”
(D&C 64:29).
Many Church mem-
bers have heard him
tell personal accounts
of ministering to the
needs of those widows.
Few know the full story.
At Christmastime, he
would visit each one
of the widows, taking
a welcome gift of food; for many years it was a
dressed hen from his own poultry flock. In the
beginning it took a week of his per-
sonal vacation time to make all the
visits. Long after he was no longer
their bishop, those widows looked
forward to his yearly visits, knowing
he would come. He continued visit-
ing them in their declining years
to keep himself unspotted from the world.’ ” 1981
Received honorary doctor
of law from Brigham
Young University.
Apr. 23, 1983
Presided at the ground-
breaking ceremony for the
Freiberg Germany Temple.
She says President Monson emulates the
Savior in his manner of offering help to oth-
ers. “No matter what their
trial or sorrow may be, he
extends his hand. He lifts
them, steadies them, and
supports them as they apply
their own faith and trust in
their Savior, Jesus Christ.”

E N S I G N JUNE 2008 9
 Nov. 10, 1985 Loyalty to Friends and to the Lord
Set apart as Second His faithful attention to such dear friends
Counselor to President underscores one of the qualities that stands
Ezra Taft Benson. out conspicuously for those who know him
best: his loyalty. With those who are his
Jan. 17, 1986
friends—and almost everyone he meets
Dedicated the Buenos
becomes a friend—a bond of loyalty develops
Aires Argentina
that is never broken. Companions of his youth
Temple.
are still good friends. Given the opportunity,
1993 for example, to enjoy one of the
Received the Bronze Wolf executive boxes at a Utah Jazz
Award from the World basketball game, he might invite
Scout Committee. civic and business leaders or
other influential acquaintances
June 5, 1994
to join him. But as often as not
Set apart as Second
he will choose to invite some
Counselor to President
of those much less prominent
Howard W. Hunter.
friends of yesteryear and follow
Mar. 12, 1995 the basketball action with them enthusiasti-
Set apart as First cally. Even those who do not know these asso-
Counselor to President ciates can enjoy listening as President Monson
Gordon B. Hinckley. reminisces about past times with them, always
conveying even in the tone of his voice the
loyalty he still has for them.
This reminds us of another kind of loyalty
so characteristic of Thomas S. Monson—
10
loyalty to the voice of the Spirit. As a young
bishop, he received a call one evening
informing him that an older member of his
ward had been taken to the veterans’ hospi-
tal in Salt Lake City for treatment. Could he
come to give the man a blessing? he was
asked. Bishop Monson explained that he
was just on his way to a stake meeting, but
he would stop by the hospital as soon as the
meeting was over. At that leadership meet-
ing, he felt unsettled, ill at ease. A prompt-
ing came strongly: leave the meeting at
once, and go directly to the hospital. But
surely it would be discourteous to walk out
while the stake president was speaking,
wouldn’t it? He waited until the end of the
stake president’s address and then made
his way to the door even before the closing
prayer. At the hospital he found himself
running down the corridor. There seemed
to be a flurry of activity outside the man’s
room, and a nurse stopped the new arrival.
“Are you Bishop Monson?” she asked. “Yes,”
was his anxious reply. “I’m sorry,” the nurse
replied. “The patient was calling your name
just before he passed away.”
As the young bishop walked out of the

Opposite page, from left: Before being
sustained as President of the Church,
President Monson served in the First
LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY GERRY AVANT/CHURCH NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED; RIGHT TOP: PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CHURCH NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED
Presidency under President Ezra Taft
Benson, President Howard W. Hunter, and
President Gordon B. Hinckley (above and right).
hospital that night, he vowed he would never again fail to
act on an impression from the Lord. No man could have
been more true to that vow. Indeed, his life has been one
miracle after another in response to his faithful adherence
to promptings of the Spirit.
Perhaps that experience at the hospital was in the back
of his mind years later as a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles when his visit to a stake conference became
something out of the ordinary. He had originally been
assigned to visit another stake that weekend, but there was
a need to change the assignment. Elder Monson knew of
no special significance to the place when President Ezra
Taft Benson (1899–1994), then President of the Quorum
of the Twelve, said, “Brother Monson, I feel impressed to
have you visit the Shreveport Louisiana Stake.”
Arriving in Shreveport, Elder Monson learned of 10-
year-old Christal Methvin, suffering from terminal cancer,
who had a desire to receive a blessing from one General
Authority in particular—him. He studied the schedule of
conference meetings and found there was no time for the
80-mile (130-km) trip to Christal’s home. He asked the stake
president to have Christal remembered in the public prayers
during the stake conference. The Methvin family under-
stood the travel problem but prayed, nevertheless, that their
daughter’s desire might be realized. Elder Monson was
preparing to speak in the Saturday evening leadership meet-
ing when, as he recalls, “I heard a voice speak to my spirit.
The message was brief, the words familiar: ‘Suffer the little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such
is the kingdom of God’ (Mark 10:14).” With the help of the
stake president, a visit to the Methvin home was
quickly arranged for the following morning.
It was a solemn and sacred experience for
those involved. Only four days after
receiving the desired blessing, Christal
returned home to her Heavenly Father.
Frequently, events such as this one cre-
ated spiritual ripple effects in the lives of
others. Speaking in general conference in October
1975, Elder Monson shared Christal’s story. Seeing a little
blonde girl of about Christal’s age in the balcony of the
Tabernacle, he felt moved to address his remarks to her.
After relating the story of Christal’s heartfelt desire that
Heavenly Father lovingly honored, Elder Monson said in
conclusion, “To you, my little friend in the upper balcony,
and to believers everywhere, I bear witness that Jesus of
Nazareth does love little children, that He listens to your
prayers and responds to them.”
When Elder Monson returned to his office after that ses-
sion of conference, he found the young blonde girl from the
balcony waiting for him with her grandmother. The little girl
had been trying to decide whether to be baptized; someone
close to her had advised her to wait until she was 18. She
had asked her grandmother to take her to conference, with
faith that Jesus would help her find an answer. Taking Elder
Monson’s hand, she said, “You helped Him answer my
prayer. Thank you.” She was baptized soon afterward.
Throughout Thomas Monson’s ministry, there have
been regular, recurring, dramatic experiences in answering
E N S I G N JUNE 2008 11
 the whispered beckonings of the Spirit—a visit at just the active Navy Reserve after World War II, Tom had been
right moment to give a desired blessing, a response to offered a commission as an ensign—an officer. Should he
someone’s unspoken need, a marshaling of help from lead- accept it, knowing that if his unit were activated he would
ers and members at the time when someone needed it be called away from home? When Elder Lee advised that
most. President Monson would point out that these experi- he decline the commission and resign from the navy, Tom
ences have come through the workings of the Holy Ghost struggled with the decision because the commission as
and not through any special talent or ability of his own. an officer was an advancement he had eagerly sought.
“The sweetest feeling you can have in this world is to feel
the hand of the Lord upon your shoulder,” he says with
emotion. “In my patriarchal blessing as a boy, I was prom-
ised that I would have the gift of discernment. I have to
acknowledge that such a declaration has been abundantly
fulfilled in my life.” Those lessons he began learning as a
young man have been strengthened and amplified through
the years.

A Call to Lifetime Service

BOOKS BY THOMAS S. MONSON
We have already noted how young Thomas was when
Pathways to Perfection, 1973, 1976
called to positions of leadership. At 22 years of age he was
Behold Thy Mother, 1976
called as bishop of the Sixth-Seventh Ward in Salt Lake
In Search of the Christmas Spirit, 1977, 2007
City’s Temple View Stake. At age 27 he was called as a
Be Your Best Self, 1979
counselor in the presidency of that stake. He was serving
Conference Classics, vol. 1, 1981
in that position when, at age 31, he was called as president
Honor Thy Mother, 1981
of the Canadian Mission. After he returned from presiding
Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings, 1983
over the mission, he was called to serve on the high coun-
Conference Classics, vol. 2, 1983
cil and on general Church committees. It would be only lit-
Conference Classics, vol. 3, 1984
tle more than a year until he would, at age 36, receive a call
Favorite Quotations from the Collection of Thomas S. Monson, 1985
to the holy apostleship.
Invitation to Live the Good Life, 1988, 1993
When Thomas S. Monson was called to fill a vacancy in
The Church in a Changing World, 1989
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1963, members who
The Search for Jesus: A Christmas Message, 1992
knew nothing of his background may have thought he had
Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith, 1994
come out of nowhere. He was the youngest man called to
Faith Rewarded: A Personal Account of Prophetic Promises to the
that office since 1910, when Joseph Fielding Smith was
East German Saints, 1996
called at age 33. But those who were acquainted with Elder
An Invitation to Exaltation, 1997
Monson knew that he had been prepared for the office.
Meeting Your Goliath, 1997
His association with Church leaders began early in his
A Christmas Dress for Ellen, 1998, 2004
life. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) was once presi-
dent of his stake, and in 1950 Tom Monson turned to his
friend, then-Elder Lee of the Quorum of the Twelve, for
help with a crucial decision. Serving as a yeoman in the

12

LEFT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN LUKE; RIGHT TOP: PHOTOGRAPH BY ANNETTE LEIN/CHURCH NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED; RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY D. ALLRED/DESERET NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED
President Hinckley and President Monson
received help from a young member at the
Palmyra New York Temple groundbreaking
ceremony on May 25, 1999.
Nevertheless, he followed the counsel. When
Tom was called as bishop a short time later,
Elder Lee, who set him apart, pointed out that
had Tom been committed to naval service,
the call as bishop likely would not have come.
Neither, we assume, would the string of signifi-
cant callings that followed it.
It was from Elder Lee that Thomas
Monson’s oldest son, Tom, received his mid-
dle name. The Monsons’ second son, Clark,
was named for another family friend: President
J. Reuben Clark (1871–1961), a counselor in
the First Presidency. In his role as a printer,
Tom Monson worked with President Clark on
the Church leader’s many books, including
the landmark Our Lord of the Gospels. The
relationship between the two men resembled
that of father and son.
In his work Tom Monson also learned to
know and admire Elder LeGrand Richards
(1886–1983) of the Quorum of the Twelve.
While presiding over the mission in Toronto,
President Monson came to know Canadian
business and government leader Nathan 1996
Eldon Tanner (1898–1982). Indeed, the Received honorary doctor
vacancy that Thomas Monson would fill in the of humane letters from
Quorum of the Twelve in 1963 was occasioned Salt Lake Community
by the calling of President Tanner from that College.
quorum to a position in the First Presidency,
1997
as a counselor to President David O. McKay
Received Minuteman
(1873–1970).
Award from Utah National
Back in Salt Lake City after his service
Guard.
as mission president, Brother Monson was
called to the Church’s Priesthood Missionary Received Brigham Young
Committee, directed by then-Elder Spencer W. University’s Exemplary
Kimball (1895–1985) of the Quorum of the Manhood Award.
Twelve. Thomas Monson served on the
Priesthood Genealogical Committee under 1998
Elder Tanner. He later served on the Adult With Sister Monson,
Correlation Committee and the Priesthood received Continuum of
Home Teaching Committee under Elder Caring Humanitarian
Marion G. Romney (1897–1988), who was Award by the Sisters
then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve of Charity of St. Joseph
and later a counselor in the First Presidency. Villa (below).
Brother Monson was so involved in work
on Church committees that on the day he
received his call to the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, he thought he was being invited to
President McKay’s office to discuss one of his
committee assignments.
A Learner, a Teacher
In his early associations with Church lead-
ers, Elder Monson was an eager and quick
learner. Both his ability and his capacity for
service came to be well-known to his Brethren
of the quorum. President Kimball referred to
him as “truly a ‘do it’ man”—one “who acts
promptly and resolutely.” Elder Bruce R.
McConkie (1915–85) of the Twelve once called
him “a genius in Church government.”
Speaking of his great loyalty to others, then-
Elder James E. Faust (1920–2007), later to
E N S I G N JUNE 2008 13
 2000 serve with him in the First Presidency, com-
Dedicated six temples. mented, “That mind of his doesn’t forget any-
thing, but neither does his heart—especially
Apr. 24, 2003
people.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004)
Addressed the largest
of the Quorum of the Twelve said of Thomas
graduating class in
Monson that his administrative and executive
Brigham Young
abilities came from “something inherent and
University’s history
innate. He doesn’t need twenty years with an
during commencement
issue to grasp its significance and retain its
exercises.
meaning. He has devoured the contents of
Oct. 21, 2005 most matters while everybody else is still try-
Delivered a devotional ing to get the wrapper off.” President Boyd K.
address commemorating Packer, who sat at President Monson’s side for
the 50th anniversary all their years together in the Quorum of the
pass on this training at stake conferences.
Just as he was an eager and apt pupil of those
great leaders who went before him in the
ranks of special witnesses of the Lord Jesus
Christ, he has been a willing and able teacher
for those of us who have followed him. As
one of the junior members of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, I (along with all of my
Brethren) have been profoundly affected by
President Monson. His enthusiasm, his atten-
tion to detail, his personal lessons from a life-
time of experience—these and so many other
influences have had a great impact, especially
because they have come over a period of so

LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA SEITZ; RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFFREY D. ALLRED AND TOM SMART; PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DESERET MORNING NEWS, MAY NOT BE COPIED
of the founding of Twelve, has said, “If I needed someone to steer many years from one who was called to the
BYU–Hawaii. a sensitive matter carefully through the coun- apostleship at such a young age. We have felt
cils of the Church, Thomas S. Monson is the his loyalty to us in such matters, just as much
2007
man I would pick for the task.” as did those first friends on the west side of
Received the Special
While serving in the Quorum of the Salt Lake City.
Worldwide Humanitarian
Twelve, President Monson chaired the Adult President Monson has been involved in
Award at the Rotary
Correlation Committee, Missionary Executive serving and strengthening youth of the
International Convention.
Committee, and Church Welfare Executive
Received honorary doctor Committee. His concern for welfare matters
of business from the is well-known; he has been a moving force in
University of Utah. the Church’s involvement in meeting com-
munity needs in both the Salt Lake Valley and
for the worldwide Church. His concern is not
abstract. He has been known to literally give
the clothes off his back to members in need
who had no opportunity to buy new clothing.
His service is often given out of the public
eye. “So much has taken place privately,” says
his daughter, Ann. Frequently, individuals will
share those experiences with his sons or
daughter. “Not even we children know all
he has done,” she says.
As a member of the Twelve, Elder Monson
also chaired the Leadership Committee,
responsible for training General Authorities
on Church programs so they in turn could

14

Top: President Monson speaks at a BYU devotional. Above:
President Monson and his wife, Frances, wave to crowds lining
the streets during the annual Pioneer Day parade in Salt Lake
City. Left: President and Sister Monson pose together during a
celebration of his 80th birthday last year.
Church since his early 20s. His concern for the spiritual
welfare of youth has been manifest in personal action. He
has, for example, served on the National Executive Board
of the Boy Scouts of America since 1969, and because of
his service, he has received Scouting’s highest national and
international awards.
Through his service in his Church callings, he has
become known to leaders in government, business, and
civic affairs throughout the world. The respect he has
earned from them has allowed him to be an influential
voice for the Church. One of his singular accomplishments
was in obtaining permission for a temple to be built in the
former German Democratic Republic, when it was still
behind the Iron Curtain. He had similar success in getting
that government to allow Latter-day Saint mis-
sionaries to move freely into and out of the coun-
try before the Berlin Wall came down.
President Monson’s ministry is a matter of
record—a record that delights faithful Latter-day
Saints young and old alike. Uplifting stories from
his discourses and writings endure because they
have the quality of modern-day parables. Many of
those stories were collected in a book published
in 1994, Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith:
From the Life and Ministry of Thomas S. Monson.
On the page following the table of contents is
printed this heading: “Service to Others.” Beneath
this heading is the familiar scripture from Mosiah
2:17: “When ye are in the service of your fellow
beings ye are only in the service of your God.” It is
a fitting bit of scriptural counsel to associate with
the life of Thomas S. Monson, for he has taken it
deeply to heart. He lives it.
Pledge of a Lifetime
Through his many years of service, President Monson
has kept the pledge he made on October 4, 1963, the
day he was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles. Speaking in the Tabernacle for the first
time as a General Authority, he said:
“My sincere prayer today, President McKay, is that I
might always obey you and these, my brethren. I pledge
my life, all that I may have. I will strive to the utmost of my
ability to be what you would want me to be. I am grateful
for the words of Jesus Christ, our Savior, when he said:
“ ‘I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice
and open the door, I will come in to him. . . .’ (Rev. 3:20.)
“I earnestly pray, my brothers and sisters, that my life
might merit this promise from our Savior.”
In leading the Church now, perhaps President Monson
might say to all of us what he said to the sisters at the
September 2007 general Relief Society meeting: “Do not
pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities
equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks
E N S I G N JUNE 2008 15
 Feb. 3, 2008 At a press conference in the Church Office
Set apart as the 16th Building on February 4, 2008, President
President of The Church Monson was introduced as President of the
of Jesus Christ of Latter- Church, with President Henry B. Eyring (left) as
day Saints. First Counselor and President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
(right) as Second Counselor.
Feb. 10, 2008
Dedicated the Rexburg
will be no miracle, but you will be the mira-
Idaho Temple (below).
cle.” For those who might protest their lack
of qualification or their inadequacy, he might
add what he taught in the April 1996 general
conference: “Remember that this work is
not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s
work, and when we are on the Lord’s
errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help.
Remember that whom the Lord calls, the
Lord qualifies.” It is obvious to all who
know him that the Lord has qualified
President Thomas S. Monson for his
present call.
In 1985, the year he was called to
the First Presidency, he gave to family
members his personal memoirs. In that
16
volume he wrote: “Looking back on my life, I
acknowledge readily the guiding influence of a
loving Heavenly Father. I testify that His watch-
ful care and promised blessings have been wel-
come gifts to me. His words have lived in my
life: ‘I will go before your face. I will be on your
right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall
be in your hearts, and mine angels round
about you, to bear you up.’ (D&C 84:88).”
After expressing gratitude for his beloved
Frances and their children and grandchildren,
TOP: PHOTOGRAPH BY CRAIG DIMOND; BOTTOM: PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LUKE
he closed, “May I always be found ‘on the
Lord’s errand.’ ”
That prayerful hope, expressed 23 years
ago, has become a certainty now. Thomas
Spencer Monson, by divine call, will spend
the rest of his life “going about doing good,”
as the Savior he loves so much did before
him. He will walk in His footsteps, and he
will do so with the inspiration of a favorite
painting that will guide
every day of that sacred
ministry. ■