Memories from Thomas S. Monson

Most everyone in the LDS church is aware of who Thomas S. Monson is. Serving in the First Presidency since 1985, then as the President of the church starting in 2008. The Westra family had a loose connection, as his son's family lived in the ward. Wendy and Jen would babysit his two grandkids. But there is another connection further back, along the Erskine line. Apparently, when Thomas Monson was a teen, his father (and young Thomas himself) worked with Claude Erskine (great-grandfather to the Westra siblings). One of Dad/Lamar's cousins (Dale Erskine, his father was Harold, the only brother to Grandma Lucille and her sisters) reached out for some reminiscing and received this nice letter back ...

Glancing through Family Search, I saw a second "Letter from Thomas S Monson" in the memories, and thought it was a duplicate, but upon closer inspection, it was a different letter from some years later. Similar sentiments expressed in this additional document.

As mentioned above, the younger Monson family was located in the ward Mom/Dad lived in, where the Westra Siblings grew up. When President Monson passed away, Derek shared this memory ...

I’m sad to lose President Monson. He has been an amazing example of serving and caring for the poor and needy throughout his life – but I’m genuinely so happy that he is now reunited with his loving Frances and so many friends. I met President Monson a few times growing up, but one time will always stand out in my memory. Here’s my President Monson / Rollerblade story:

In the LDS Church, Church members fast for two meals one Sunday each month and then donate money (what we would have spent on our meals) to the poor and needy. 12-14 year olds are assigned to go door-to-door to collect the money and provide it to the Bishop (local unpaid leader) to distribute to the poor in the congregation. As a young 12-year old, I recall rollerblades were all the rage, and we used to use them to speed up our fast-offering routes.

I was zipping through my route when I stopped at one house and rang the doorbell. A very tall man who I recognized answered the door. It was Thomas S. Monson – and only then did I remember that it was his son’s house (he was our Deacon’s Quorum advisor and we all loved him). I sheepishly asked President Monson "Hi…do...you want to donate a fast offering?" He replied "Of course I do! Come on in!" I was wearing rollerblades and this was the era of carpeted entryways, and I wasn’t sure if I should take them off, but I didn’t. I just went inside and stood there on the carpet like an idiot with my rollerblades on their carpet floor.

President Monson returned with the envelope and said, “would you like to see my pigeons?” Of course I said yes, and he said, “follow-me” and he headed to the back of the house through the kitchen (I think). Again, the dilemma of do I take of the ridiculous rollerblades, or not…but I decided not to and I waddled on the carpet through the house leaving in-line wheel prints behind me in the carpet. The family was around back and he showed me his pigeons and let them go. He explained that they would fly back to his home and he’d retrieve them there. I thought that was about the coolest thing I’d ever seen as a 12-year-old kid.

I’ve worked for the Church for the past decade and I’ve met with many apostles and members of the First Presidency, but never President Monson. I’ve always been relieved not to have met with him, because I was (unrealistically) afraid that his photographic memory would somehow recall the ridiculous little boy standing there in his rollerblades.

It’s a funny little memory, but it really speaks to the man that President Monson was throughout his life. He was constantly serving others and making their days brighter and better. Even for an awkward kid who interrupted his time with his family.

Thank you for your life of service and your example President Monson.

Thanks to Wendy, who preserved the story on her family blog! Additionally, as the Monson family went through things after President Monson passed away, they found a Book of Mormon in Dutch. Back in 2002, President Hinckley had dedicated the new temple there. The President of the Temple there gave the book to the First Presidency, and the younger Tom Monson knew Dad/Lamar had served his mission in the Netherlands, and gave it to him thinking he'd treasure it.