I knew President Nelson on another level.
Heard stories in my home about him before he was even an Apostle.
Stories told to me by my dad.
“Brother Nelson” was my dad’s priest quorum advisor.
A youth leader who took special interest in my dad when he was a simple teenager trying to figure out life.
Brother Nelson noticed my dad at the ski resort one day after a good run down the powdery slopes.
My dad only had enough coins to pay for one run on his wooden skies, so at the bottom of the hill he bent down to take his skies off.
Suddenly, he heard his name.
“Clark! Hey, it’s great to see you! How about I pay for a few more runs and let’s ski together.”
It was a day never to be forgotten.
A day when a busy heart surgeon found a sliver of time to likely ski a few quick runs by himself.
But in his busy schedule, he noticed the one.
Took a small opportunity to make a big difference.
Years later, when “Elder Nelson” was announced as a new Apostle, my dad gathered us kids together and again retold the story of the day on the slopes.
In our family, we all knew what kind of a heart and soul Russell M. Nelson had before most of the world did.
How he not only inspired millions, but also noticed and cared for the individual.
The kind of man who let my dad know he mattered.
So, when “President Nelson” was named a Prophet, there was no doubt in our family that this man was on the Lord’s errand and God’s true mouthpiece.
Russell M. Nelson not only preached the gospel from the pulpit.
He practiced it.
