A Tale of Three Mentors

During my recent vacation to Utah, I met up with three men who, at one time in my life, served as guides and mentors to me. It was a wonderful experience to meet up with these men, to talk with them about our shared history, and to once more feel the strength of their faith.

The first visit was with Darren Jensen. Darren was the teacher's quorum advisor in the Aurora Hills Ward when I was 14 years old. Because he worked as a Distribution Manager for the Rocky Mountain News, he often had to deliver newspapers on routes that did not currently have a carrier. I would often help him throw papers on the weekends. We had some profound early morning talks that helped me through my shy and awkward teenage years.

Once, when doing research at the city library, I stumbled across a section of anti-Mormon literature. The books disturbed me greatly, and on my way home, I stopped at the Jensen home. They were sitting down to dinner, but invited me to stay. After dinner, Darren and I talked about what I had read, why such awful literature exists, and how much potential I had for serving God and His kingdom.

I had last seen Darren in 1996, when I received my endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. Traditionally, an older family member will serve as an escort for a young man or woman attending the temple for the first time. Darren served as my escort.

My second visit was with Dr. Samuel Otterstrom, a professor of Geography at Brigham Young University. I was a teaching assistant for Dr. O. during my last two years at BYU, grading papers and tests for his Geography Of Europe and Geography Of Latin America classes. Dr. O. also wrote letters of recommendation on my behalf when I applied for graduate school at the University of Arizona, and again when I applied for my current position with the San Xavier District.

It was a chance encounter that brought me Dr. Otterstrom's employ. I passed him in the hall of the 6th floor of the Kimball Tower, and even though there were more than 80 other students in his class with me, he recognized me and knew my name. He greeted me and asked me a few questions before continuing on his way. It was revealing that this professor cared enough to learn my name.

Later that summer, I was nearing the end of an internship and looking at employment possibilities for the coming school year. I thought about writing to Dr. O and asking him if he needed a TA for the coming year. I knew that he knew who I was, and this gave me the courage to write him.

During my employment with Dr. Otterstrom, he always showed an interest in my development as a person; I was more than just a statistic adding to the success rate of the program. He always asked about my family, my faith, my goals, my interests, as well as my studies. It wasn't until later that I learned how rare it is to find a professor with such a personal interest in his students.

My third visit was to H. Alldredge Gillespie, my former mission president. President Gillespie had been the Mission President of the Mexico Tampico Mission from 1997 to 2000. Upon release, he was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy, and subsequently to be the Temple President of the Oklahoma City Temple.

President Gillespie had, without a doubt, the greatest spiritual influence on my life. As my mission president he taught me how to listen to the Spirit, to treat others with love and kindness, to be bold in proclaiming the gospel, and to trust in the Lord in all that I do.

With one month left to serve on my mission, I was serving in an area that I loved and was having tons of success.  My current companion was an elder I had known since we were both greenies in the bordertown of Matamoros 18 months before.  I expected my last days as a missionary would be in this area with this companion. 

And then President Gillespie transferred me to work in the Tampico Stake with a companion who would likewise be new to the area.  Never before had a transfer so dismayed and upset me.  What could I do in a new area with only one month?  A lot, it turns out.  I had my best month ever, and I later thanked President Gillespie for transferring me when and where he did.  He was truly inspired.

I'm glad I had the chance to visit with these three mentors.  They all had a deeper impact on my life than they will ever know.