A prophet's visit
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
President Thomas S. Monson made brief visits to Nauvoo, Ill., and Kirtland, Ohio, on Oct. 9 and 10. It was the first time since he became president of the Church on Feb. 3, 2008, that he has visited the sites steeped in Church history.
While in Nauvoo, he visited with Nauvoo Illinois Temple President Wayne S. Peterson and his wife, Sister Joan Peterson, and Illinois Nauvoo Mission President Robert E. Ludwig and his wife, Sister Martha Ludwig.
In Kirtland, he was hosted by Elder Roger Butterfield, director of the Kirtland Visitors Center, and his wife, Sister Sue Butterfield. Joining in hosting President Monson in Kirtland were Karl Anderson, an author and historian who has been involved in the development of LDS sites in Kirtland for the past 30 years, and his wife, Joyce Anderson.
On Friday, Oct. 9, President Monson stopped by the Nauvoo Temple, visited some of the historic sites in Old Nauvoo, met with missionaries and attended "Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo," a musical performed by senior missionaries.
Upon leaving the Cultural Hall where the performance had taken place, President Monson stood on the front steps and thanked the cast, all of whom were waiting to greet him. Putting his arm around William Dove, a young man with Down syndrome who is serving in Nauvoo with his parents, Elder Dennis Dove and Sister Pamela Dove, President Monson said, "The best individual performance was by this young man."
Sister Dove said, "He took our son in his arms and hugged him. It was a special moment for our son, but also for the whole cast. Everyone was crying. I know our son will never forget it."
Sister Carole Lee Hamilton, a missionary from North Carolina, said after the program, "I felt the sweetest, most calming emotion. He was right with us. He seemed to feel and share our joy. It was an impromptu thing — something that just happened — but I could tell from his expression that it was a beautiful experience for him, just as it was for us."
President Monson's visit to Nauvoo caught most members there by surprise. Shane Anderson, who is attending the independently funded Nauvoo University, said, "Last Friday, I was working on math, when I heard everyone shouting outside the dorms. I went out to see what all the noise was about, when I heard that President Monson was in town."
Shane and several other students hopped into cars and went looking for President Monson; they caught up with him at the Nauvoo Visitors Center where they waited for about an hour for him to come out after meeting with missionaries.
Amy Woodruff said, "The minute that [he] walked out the door, I knew. The Spirit, so fervently, bore witness to me that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. … He had a warm smile, and sincerely greeted each of us students individually. I was and always will be elated at the idea that I have met God's living prophet today, President Thomas S. Monson."
Thomas Hill said that the students stood to one side, but soon President Monson "waved us over and asked each one of us our names and shook our hands. In turn we each told him our names and shook his hand. When we did that we all felt our stress and worries leave us the second our hands met. Just by meeting him he left an impression on my soul that I will never be able to forget."
In Kirtland on Saturday, Oct. 10, President Monson went to the LDS visitors center and some sites of interest, particularly the Newell K. Whitney Store, where in an upstairs room the Prophet Joseph Smith had convened the School of the Prophets. While in that room, he read from Section 100 of the Doctrine and Covenants, In the Church's visitors center, he spoke with missionaries and read Doctrine and Covenants 84:88, from a revelation given to Joseph Smith at the Whitney store, in which the Lord promises: "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for 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."
He was hosted at the Kirtland Temple by Ron Romig, director of the Community of Christ Visitors Center and Kirtland Temple, and his wife, Ann. The Community of Christ owns the building and keeps it open for visitors year round.
While in the temple, President Monson spoke to the group traveling with him, including his daughter, Ann M. Dibb, second counselor in the general Young Women presidency.
Elder Butterfield said, "He was real, he was personable, he was kind, tender; he was everything you would expect the prophet to be."
Elder Butterfield said that in the Whitney Store, where the School of the Prophets had been held, President Monson "sat in front of us and talked to us like a father, or grandfather. There was just a tenderness as he shared some things from the scriptures teaching us for a few minutes. Time was not of the essence. It was the moment that was important to him and doing the things he was impressed to do and saying the things he was impressed to say."
Of President Monson's visit to Kirtland, Elder Butterfield said, "To see him where Joseph stood and where Joseph taught was such a wonderful experience that will never be forgotten. This is a magnificent thing to have him go to these historical places."
