Elder Perry

One time I was downtown in Salt Lake and had just finished a lunch at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I was standing at the crosswalk going back to the ZCMI Center when I looked up to see Elder L. Tom Perry on the other side waiting to cross! I was so excited to see him but I figured he probably gets bombarded all the time so my game plan was to play it cool and just smile as we passed. The light changed. We started walking. We were the only two people on the street so it would've been a little funny not to acknowledge each other. We got closer and he decided to make a comment (the man's just so friendly-- and tall in real life!). He noticed the To-Go Box in my hand and said, "Is that lunch or dinner?" I was just so excited to see him and better yet, now he's talking to me? So I turned to him, beaming, and said, "Lunch!!!!" It came out way too excited (and I have subsequently been teased about it ever since). But hey, I was happy.



So today Adam and I went to the Salt Lake Temple. I was inside going to meet Adam. Instead of taking an elevator I took a back staircase. Who happened to be coming down the staircase? Elder Perry again!! I was surprised to see him but he was as friendly as ever. "Hello, are you going up?" I couldn't help it. The joy hit me again. "YES!!!!"



I've never been so excited to answer someone's questions in all my life. I think he could ask me if I wanted to clean throw-up off the floor and I'd still answer, "May I?!!!"



Ah, you gotta love the Apostles and the contagious joy they carry with them. Wow.