Elder Holland's Visit

Read this when you have 5 minutes or more. So much to share. I tried to keep it brief, (shorter than the 4 pages I wrote in my journal about this event), but it is still kind of long.

This year is the 100 year anniversary of the new Cadet Chapel. In honor of its completion, a series of prayer breakfasts are being held. When the West Point Historian, a member of our congregation, suggested that an LDS Church leader might be invited to speak at one of the breakfasts, the committee agreed. So the historian contacted his friend, Elder Holland, and that is how this day, Friday May 7th, came to be.
While R stayed home with the girls, B and I got up very early Friday morning to attend the prayer breakfast. Upon arriving, we found some friends and chose our seats. Only then did we realize that we were at the table right next to where Elder and Sister Holland would be sitting, and that our chairs were directly behind Elder Holland's. When we were seated, we could have turned around in our chairs and touched him, and when we stood to sing, we were standing right behind him. If you click on the picture below, you can see me in blue and B to my right in his white shirt. Just to the left of B in the picture, is an empty chair. That is Elder Holland's chair.

Elder Holland spoke on integrity. It was an amazing talk that made me reflect on my own integrity, and the choices that I make, the things that I do, and why I do them. Am I being true to myself and my beliefs? Am I doing the "right thing at the right time for the right reason?"

Elder Holland shared wonderful stories from the scriptures, real life, and literature. What I'll remember from the breakfast are these things. First, how at times, while he was speaking, the room was so still and quiet, and peaceful, it felt like being in the temple. It was remarkable and so much more than the feeling that I get when I feel the spirit during a talk in sacrament meeting, or in a lesson when the spirit is testifying to me of the truth of what I am hearing. In this case, rather than this being something that effected just me, it was a feeling that filled the room. It was peace, stillness, and calmness.

I will also always remember having the opportunity to sit so close to an Apostle. When I think of the little everyday things in my life that I consider gifts from Heavenly Father, this will be one of them. You don't have to sit or stand right behind an Apostle to know that he is an Apostle. And you don't have to have that experience for your "life to be complete". But being given the opportunity to sit and stand right next to an Apostle was such a wonderful experience... a small gift that I am thankful for. As B and I stood behind him and sang, the significance of that opportunity to be so close to an Apostle along with the words of the hymns that we sang were at times, overwhelming.

One thing that I was fascinated to get to observe was Elder Holland's fulfilling of his calling to be a witness of the Savior. The remarks that he shared in the breakfast were far less religious in nature than if he was giving a talk in conference on the same subject. He had mentioned the Savior already in his talk, but as he closed he said (and I paraphrase), I would like to share with you the principles of integrity that I follow in my life. Then he spoke of the Savior and the type of man He was and patterning our life and leadership after Him. Essentially, he bore his testimony and then closed "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." It was memorable to get to hear him bear his testimony in that setting. As an Apostle who's calling it is to be a witness, even in that non-denominational setting, he was a witness and testified of Jesus Christ. I'll never forget that.

After the prayer breakfast B and I hurried home so he could get to school and I could get home so R could leave for his special events of the day. First R attended a briefing with Elder and Sister Holland. One of the members of our branch, a professor here, told the Hollands all about the history, etc. of where we live. Then Elder and Sister Holland met with R and our Branch President in our Branch office. Besides talking about church business they also just visited about their families and life here. After that, they were off to have lunch with Elder and Sister Holland and the cadets in the mess hall. Here they are standing on the steps outside of Washington Hall.

The activities continued with a reception that evening for the Hollands and our Branch, in the basement of the Cadet Chapel. One of the cadets served as photographer for the day and followed the Hollands everywhere taking pictures. He got lots of great pictures including all of the ones in this post. Here is what was being said as these pictures of our family were taken.

R introduced us all, beginning with C. Here is Elder Holland saying, "Hi C", before he shook her hand.

P was next, and she was a little shy and overwhelmed with everything so after shaking her hand and saying hi to her, he said, "P will you shake Sister Holland's hand?" So you can see Sister Holland reaching out her hand to shake P's

Then R introduced B. Elder Holland turned to B and the first thing he said, (and it is what he is saying as this pictures was taken) is, "B, you look like a Deacon."
... "Are you a deacon?" It was great. (Please excuse C's face in the background. It is at this point that she must have noticed the cadet taking pictures so she had to put on a show.)

Next, I shook hands with Elder and Sister Holland, thanked Sister Holland for accompanying her husband and told Elder Holland how much I appreciated his talk that morning at the breakfast. And then comes my next favorite memory from the day. Not only did we get to shake hands with an Apostle but we had a conversation with him. I told him that my favorite part, and the one thing I will always remember from his words were the way in which he, as an Apostle, was a witness even in that situation. He said, thank you and explained that he had been kind of concerned about that because he was trying to balance enough religious with not too much since it wasn't supposed to specifically be a religious talk. He asked if I thought it was the right balance? He also said he had wondered how slipping his testifying in at the end would be received.

What a wonderful opportunity to get to "talk with" an Apostle. We quickly got a family picture with him and then moved on so that others could visit with him.

After the reception we all moved upstairs to the cadet chapel for the fireside. Our stake and 2 other stakes had been invited to attend. Several people spoke along with Elder Holland. His remarks were again on integrity, focusing this time on spiritual integrity... living up to our mission and the things that Heavenly Father is depending on us to do. He once again shared wonderful stories that I won't share here or this would be too long. As he spoke, he walked up and down the aisle.


At the end of his talk he told us that ever since he was little he has been witnessing, but now "I AM a witness." When he said that, the spirit was so strong and room was so quiet and still, and tears came to my eyes. Here I was in the same room and only 20 or so feet away from someone who's calling it is not just to witness but to BE a witness of Jesus Christ. I know we get to hear Apostles in Conference and even see them if we attend, but there was just something about being in such an intimate setting and hearing Elder Holland say that he IS a witness. As I thought back to the events of the day I know that it is because he is an Apostle and IS a witness that when he spoke in the prayer breakfast this morning that he spoke with power yet was humble, and his manner of speaking was how I imagine the Savior would have been in a similar setting. And I know it is because he IS a witness that he was so approachable and genuine when we spoke with him at the reception. Once again, he reminded me of how I imagine the Savior would have been. When the fireside was over he invited people to come up. He said he "hoped to shake more hands." Once again, although he had been up early and had a long day, he reminded me of the Savior in his desire to meet and be with those who had come to hear him speak.

What an amazing day, a once in a lifetime opportunity, and a day full of lots of little gifts and blessings that I will always remember.