On Friday, May 17th, Sister Frances Monson, wife of LDS Prophet Thomas S. Monson, passed away surrounded by family. I was blessed to have the opportunity to attend the public memorial service in the Tabernacle in Temple Square.It was a beautiful event, much different than most funeral services I have been to in my life. The speakers, which included apostles Dieter F. Uchtorf and Henry Eyring and Sister Ann Dibbs, daughter of Sister Monson, talked about her virtue, faithfulness to the gospel, and her righteous dedication to her family and her husband.
President Eyring recalled Thomas S. Monson's story of his first date with Frances.
"The first day I saw Frances, I knew I'd found the right onw. I asked her to go out with me. I went to home to call on her. She introduced me, and her father said, "'Monson'-that's a Swedish name, isn't it?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, "Good."
Then he went into another room and brought out a picture of two missionaries with their top hats and their copies of the Books of Mormon.
"Are you related to this Monson," he said, "Elias Monson?"
I said, "Yes, he's my grandfather's brother. He too was a missionary in Sweden."
Her father wept. He said, "He and his companion were the missionaries who taught the gospel to my mother and my father and all of my brothers and sisters and me." He kissed me on the cheek. And then her mother cried, and she kissed me on the cheek. And then I looked around for Frances. She said, "I'll go get my coat.""
When President Eyring shared this story, tears began to well up in my eyes.
I have begun to become accustomed to certain phrases when I tell people that I am going to serve in the Lord as a missionary in Sweden.First, they say, "You look Swedish!"
Then they tell me, "Don't expect any baptisms. Sweden is a very liberal country with few converts."
This story touched my heart. Two missionaries who brought the gospel to the Monson family have made a significant impact in the world. They may have even thought that their mission was a failure if they had few converts, but their baptizing of the Monson family was an important success. Without those two young men who sacrificed their time for the Lord, Thomas S. Monson may not have been a member of this church, and certainly not our beloved prophet.
I know that my mission in Sweden will be important. I may not have baptize dozens of converts, but my mission will truly impact the world, even if in only small ways.
