President Thomas S. Monson
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 East North Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150
Dear President Monson,
This is by way of a belated thank-you note. In 1967, you were pivotally helpful to a man we love, and your kindness has begotten wonderful consequences about which you ought to know. Please forgive our procrastination: we’ve repressed good intentions for years.
You may perhaps remember H. Duane Anderson, who was called in 1967 to preside over the mission in Paris. The picture shows Duane and Leola, as they looked then. They’re the parents of one of us and the grandparents-in-law of the other. After decades of teaching French language and culture, our Pappy was thrilled to receive this call, but it also terrified him. As he related the story to us later, he poured out his heart to you in a private meeting, asking how he
could possibly direct the work of three hundred missionaries, when he had never himself served a mission. He told us that you comforted him, related some stories of missionaries who had done mighty work despite a lack of preparation, and assured him that the Lord would make him equal to his opportunities. He went to Paris reassured, and had an intense and honorable experience there.Now we fast-forward to 1991 when young Ron Ralston had the good fortune to fall in love with the Andersons’ eldest granddaughter, Cynthia Lee Anderson of Arlington, Massachusetts. To his great joy, Cyndi agreed to wait for Ron while he served a mission to Milwaukee.
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Full of enthusiasm, Ron entered the MTC, where it became apparent that a disability would keep him from serving a mission. He came home absolutely desolated, and he went around saying to himself and to others, “Cyndi will never marry me, with all the missionary tradition in her family. Here I tube out of the MTC! She's going to break our engagement. There is no way she's going to marry a guy who couldn't make it through the MTC.”
Our Pappy became aware of Ron’s distress. As Ron remembers it, Pappy called him in and related the story of his own misgivings at the brink of the mission field and how you had assured him that the Lord would make him equal to the challenge. Pappy then, as head of the Anderson family, welcomed Ron to the family and told him: “Nobody in this family is going to hold it against you that you didn't get to go on a full-time mission. If anybody gives you any trouble about it, you send him to me.”
Before too long, Cyndi and Ron were married in the Salt Lake Temple (it was several years too soon to make it happen in Boston). They and their children (see the fairly recent photo on the next page) are forever grateful to you for teaching our family patriarch how to strengthen the feeble knees.
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So now you know; we hope you rejoice. And we do sustain you and pray for you always. Thanks for a beautiful Conference and for your blessings upon us; we treasure them. Within the limits of our capacity, we send you also our blessings.
With much love,
Ronald Ralston
Richard B. Anderson
Mr. Richard B. Anderson
390 East 1500 South
Kaysville, Utah 84037
Dear Brother Anderson:
Thank you for the letter from you and your son-in-law
Ronald Ralston regarding your dear parents, H. Duane and
Leola Seely Anderson. You have a noble heritage of devotion to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even in the face of sacrifice and
trials.
There was deep sadness on the passing of your mother
and great admiration for your father as he continued to serve
with faith and courage. How grateful we are for comfort and
peace received from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the gift of
the Holy Ghost.
Please give my love to your family. May our Father in
Heaven bless you in the service you give and in all that you do.
