ELDER RICHARD G. SCOTT

ELDER RICHARD G SCOTT, OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES, was in France to speak at a Stake Conference. When he talked with President Merrell, he said that he would have to speak with the missionaries. They made an impromptu Zone Conference and arranged for missionaries from 3 zones to attend. He was supposed to speak to us for about 4 hours but extended it to 5 ½ hours. He then had all the stake and ward officers of the Toulouse Stake (not the stake he was visiting originally) meet with him directly after that. He asked President Merrell if he would be able to speak to the other missionaries in our mission who were not at the Zone Conference. President Merrell said the only way would be for them to get up at 4:00 a.m. to fly to Nice. Elder Scott said, “Let’s do it.” So they got up at 4:00 the next morning (after a complete day in Toulouse) and flew to Nice, where he spoke to the missionaries there, then added a few more meetings before he held meetings for the stake he was supposed to speak at. He then asked the stake president if they could meet with the leadership of the stake. The stake president said it would have to be at 7:00 in the morning. Elder Scott said, “Let’s do it.” After all the Sunday meetings he decided to have a fireside with all the young adults that evening. Then late to bed and off at 4:00 am the next morning.

Sarah, Anna, Joshua Merrell and Elder Scott

We’re not sure of the timing, but after a long day of meetings, etc., they went back to the mission home and Elder Scott told President Merrell’s 3 children that as soon as he took care of a few things he would have some time to play games with them. So after an exhausting schedule that would kill most young men, this elderly gentleman took the time at the end of the day (knowing he had to get up at 4:00 a.m. the next morning) to play Pictionary with 3 teenage children.

He was amazing at our meeting. We were so impressed that with his huge schedule and at his age, he seemed so calm and unhurried. He did not seem tired or put out at having to do so much. He seemed so at ease. And you must remember that most of these were impromptu meetings that he had to conduct, teach, instruct, speak at, etc. We kept wondering how and when he prepared for them. At the end of the meeting, Elder Scott insisted on shaking the hands of everyone there. Our favorite missionary, Elder Childress, was playing the piano quietly while Elder Scott shook all the hands. JoAnn was beginning to worry that Elder Childress was going to miss out on this marvelous opportunity, but after shaking all the missionaries' hands, he turned and went up on the stand to personally talk to and Elder Childress and shake his hand. We were so impressed by his sensitivity to each and every one of us.

After our zone conference, several Elders said that he had answered questions that they had had – that he seemed to be speaking just to them with what they needed the most. It was incredible.

As a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, his main object is to testify of Christ to the world. He had someone read DandC 93:1 and said, “I know this scripture is true.” He said it was too sacred to go into details, but he wanted us to know that he knows that Jesus lives. He gave a beautiful testimony of the atonement. He said that all of the 12 know just as assuredly as he knows. They have not talked about the details of how they know, but they testify strongly that they indeed do know.

He taught us something that he said would change our lives if he would follow it. It was:

“Throughout the remainder of my life I will consistently strive to learn by what I hear, see and feel. I will write down the important things I learn and I will do them.”

“To be inspired is to know what to do. To be endowed with power is to have the capacity to do.”

Good ideas we have when we are doing what is right are always or nearly always of the Spirit. Write them down so you don’t forget, so you show that they are important to you. Often as we write down our impressions of the Spirit, He will give us more as we write.

When taking notes of meetings, lessons, etc. use brackets [ ] to put our impressions. Often they will come and even may not be regarding what we are hearing, but the spirit is talking to us nevertheless. Then later write them down somewhere so that you can act on them.

He has a journal and then he has a special journal on his computer that is password protected for the things that are too spiritual for everyone to read. He puts those special things there.

Elder Scott says he sometimes goes back to read his journal and reads things that he has forgotten. He says, if you write them down they may be forgotten but they are not lost.

He told us that Elder Eyring has for years taken a small tape recorder when he speaks and puts the small microphone up next to the large one and when he starts to speak he turns on the tape recorder. He has said that when listening to the talks later he often learns things he did not know (things that the Spirit had him say in his talks).

Elder Scott told a story of how he learned to be a counselor. In a meeting with the first presidency and the 12, Spencer Kimball was going over some important material. He inadvertently left out an important part. Instead of bringing it to everyone’s attention, his counselor Nathan B. Tanner, every so slightly moved his little finger over to touch President Kimball’s hand. President Kimball then looked over his notes again, found the section he had left out and then presented it to the group.,