President Russell M. Nelson chose to visit Wisconsin in March, which was a great opportunity for our missionaries to be taught by the president of the Quorum of the Twelve. He shook hands with all of our missionaries and spent two hours with them. We met at the Madison Stake Center. We were also taught by Elder Ulysses Soares and his wife Rosana as well as our area seventy Elder T. David Scott and his wife.
When I walked into the building and saw all our missionaries there it just filled my heart with so much love. They are such amazing young men and women. I can't describe how blessed we felt to be in the same room as them.
They had a busy schedule. I was so surprised at how fit and healthy President Nelson is. He conducted a meeting for the youth on Friday night, a missionary meeting Saturday morning, a leadership meeting Saturday afternoon for four hours with the stake presidents, bishoprics and Relief Society Presidents and their wives, and then a special conference on Sunday for the Madison Stake.
Jack and I were also speakers in the Leadership Meeting so that was quite an honor to be in the same program as President Nelson. On Sunday Elder and Sister Soares went to our stake in South Milwaukee and held a special conference there. They are such humble wonderful people. We sure love them.
During the Missionary Meeting President Nelson shared how he was raised by less-active parents. He tried often to encourage them to be active but they did not change. Then, when they were in their up in years, President Nelson and his parents were invited to a birthday party for President Kimball at the Hotel Utah. When President Kimball entered the room he walked straight to President Nelson's mother and kissed her and said, "Thank you for raising such a wonderful son. He saved my life!" referring to the difficult but successful heart surgery that he had performed on President Kimball. President Kimball then turned to Brother Nelson and said, "Thank you for raising a son with so much integrity." Then he walked back to the head table. The next day President Nelson's father called him up and said, "I'm ready." President Nelson said, "Ready for what?" and he replied, "I'm ready to come back to church." And he did and so did his wife. Not too long after they were sealed in the temple in their 80's. He emphasized that we should never give up!
