McLEAN, VA.

In cowboy boots he tirelessly stands at the chapel door and welcomes each sacrament meeting attendee with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eye. He then holds each deacon's tray with solemnity when it's his turn to take the sacrament. Because of his vigor, his age surprises most. Bob Carswell, the self-appointed greeter for the McLean 2nd Ward in the McLean Virginia Stake, turned 94 on Oct. 15. And he's still going strong.

Photo by Nikki Merrill

Bob Carswell of the McLean (Virginia) 2nd Ward joined the Church at age 75. Now 94, he feels blessed with vitality to help others, including those in juvenile court and schools.

Upon meeting the kind gentleman clad in a gray Western suit, one wonders about his roots — which surely must be beyond the Washington, D.C., area. Indeed, he's Texan, and dresses the part 90 percent of the time.

Brother Carswell soon begins to relate the fact that he's a late-in-life convert. He shares adventures from his youth, as well as his days as a Texas Ranger and a secret agent in the FBI and CIA. A story mingled with history and heritage unfolds.

He was born in Delaware, but his family shortly moved to Texas for a few years, and moved often, in military fashion. During high school in the Panama Canal Zone, he learned Spanish. He considers himself a native speaker. He has employed that skill much throughout his life.

His father, an engineer, fought with the Eighth Calvary in El Paso under Gen. John Pershing. They were after Pancho Villa and his border-crossing gang. Bob Carswell learned service from his parents' examples: his father's leadership in the Army and his mother's compassion for the servicemen's wives.

With those examples set before him, he quickly entered a life of service after obtaining law degrees.

He served as a Texas Ranger for six months before entering the FBI. He then helped to stop crime as a special agent for the FBI. He was sent to Venezuela under cover. That's where he met his wife to whom he was married for 47 years. In 1943, when agents who declined military assignments for the FBI were ordered to join the military to assist in World War II, Brother Carswell joined the Coast Artillery Corps. In one position, he escorted top secret documents between Pentagon and White House war rooms. Those materials contained translations of German and Japanese codes, he later learned.

As a special agent for the CIA, he helped fight communism. The CIA also sent him to spy in Venezuela. His espionage work came to an end when he contracted Hepatitis B and nearly died at age 37. Interspersed throughout Brother Carswell's life are various legal positions — both as an independent attorney and also as legal counsel for groups such as the World Health Organization.

"Looking back, I think I've led a kind life," Brother Carswell said in reflection of his myriad roles in service.

He's in love with his life, the Church and his family. This helps him stay youthful. He thinks "thin," which keeps him healthy. And he thinks "young," which keeps him active. "My daughters feel I should have limits to what I do, even though I feel confident that I can do more," he said.

It's a life that continues because of his attitude of gratitude, that approach which President Thomas S. Monson emphasized in his recent conference address. "I like to say I started living a new life when I joined the Church," he explained. "In many respects, I think that's why I haven't felt my age."

He first learned of the Church in 1938 while assisting one of his first clients with a divorce. The LDS man wanted to be as kind as he could in the settlement. The attorneys naturally pressed him; he didn't have to sacrifice. "He said, 'Nope, I don't want to cause her more pain.'" Brother Carswell recalled. This dumbfounded the young attorney Carswell and he wondered, "What kind of church is this?"

The Church resurfaced in his life in 1992, a few years after his own difficult divorce, when he saw a commercial for the Book of Mormon. "The good Lord said immediately, 'This is what you need to do,' " Brother Carswell remembers. He called for a copy and it arrived 10 days later — along with a pair of missionaries. He joined the Church, at age 75, after five weeks of lessons. "I did remember that client I had and wondered if the Church could do the same for me, and it did," he said.

Brother Carswell was raised in one church and, during his married life, joined another. He had not been satisfied with either religion and how obedience to the commandments seemed optional.

Given his background, Brother Carswell found it singular that he was ordained a priest soon after baptism. "I had a direct responsibility to the Lord," he said. "I wasn't just part of the congregation."

Similarly, he was surprised when he found himself in the role of home teacher to bishops and former bishops. He thought, "I'm a new member and here I am — teaching a bishop."

Today, he believes the Lord has blessed him with vitality because he still has a mission — perhaps his work as a volunteer Spanish interpreter in the juvenile courts and also as a paid interpreter in the schools. The work began 15 years ago when his new life in the gospel gave him the confidence to take steps to help create a volunteer program.

Brother Carswell also spends much of his time visiting his two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren. He travels often. He looks forward to his biannual trips to Scotland, the land of his ancestors.