The Pedestal

Hello Mom & Dad,

      Let me first start by telling you about my week.  My companion and I have been pretty ill.  Tuesday night I got food poisoning.  I think I got it from some food an investigator gave us.  I recovered, but my companion remains sick.  He has been battling a bad cold.  However, on Saturday we spent the whole day in the Indian community of Chatsworth cleaning and preparing the roof of an elementary school for painting.  It has been very hot, which added to the difficulty of this task because, we had to scrub this huge roof by hand (for over 6 hours).  Today we are going back to go paint it.

      Dad, thank you for your inspired letter.  Week after week I read a thoughtful and detailed account of whatever you choose to write me about.  I can say I have a feeling for who you have become since I have left and every week I look forward to reading your letter because you’re my hero. I sometimes think about when you were on your mission in Brazil in 1978 or 1979 speaking Portuguese, eating weird things, being with native companions, but most of all, teaching people the same truths I’m teaching now.

      So Dad, after reading your last letter about heroes I have further thought about those people who I look up to.  Do you want to know some of my Heroes?  For starters: The First Presidency (this is referring to the Prophet and his two councelors), Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Elder Boyd K. Packer (these men are three of the current Twelve Apostles serving in the church), you, mom, Bishop Hess, my Mission President, Richard Gerdts and Randy Beckett … (just to mention a few).

  

      Let me share one last thing with you, something I’ve been learning this past month and a half.  For the second time since I’ve been on my mission, the mission as a whole is reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover.  I know that the Book of Mormon is so complex and contains so much that a lifetime of study might not reveal everything.  As we started this new reading as assignment I went into it with the mindset to learn and find things I didn’t know before.  Well, as I have gone through the first 2 books of Nephi, my mind has been opened to a purpose stated in the title page of the book; that is to make known the covenants of the fathers to their children.  My mind has been enlightened with the covenants of the Lord to the House of Israel through Isaiah, Nephi, Lehi, and even Jacob.  It blows my mind at times, but what is even more spectacular is how I have come to realize that all these covenants apply to me through my lineage.  Because of that, this sacred record has taken on a world of new meaning.  I love the Book of Mormon, and I know with all my heart, mind and spirit that it is true, because the spirit continues to manifest this to me.

I love you all,

Elder Gold

Editor's Note:

      This week Steve began his letter to Landon by explaining that he has been thinking about heroes with so much in the news lately about fallen heroes.  He proceeded by explaining,

“One of the greatest contemporary American heroes was disgraced as Lance Armstrong admitted to Oprah Winfrey that he had used performance enhancing drugs to help him win his 7 Tour de France victories. This was very sad to hear – your mother was in dis-belief… Then, this last week another one of my heroes made the news from half a world away – a South African national hero.  No doubt you have heard that Oscar Pistorius – the Blade Runner – is accused of shooting his girlfriend to death on Valentine’s day.  Here is another fallen hero – in fact a fallen idol.  I must admit that I was a huge fan of Pistorius.  I watched him in the summer Olympics as he ran with the big boys – a man, with prosthetics for his lower legs, who was able to compete with the best able-bodied athletes in the world.  I stop short of admitting that I worshipped him – for that would certainly make me guilty of “idol worship”, however I greatly admired him – his drive, determination and accomplishments. Now his life is in shambles.

      So, in the world of athletes, rock stars, models, actors and billionaires – who are the real heroes? Who do we put on a pedestal to honor, respect and emulate? Heroes certainly serve a purpose as they can motivate and inspire us to do better – to be better. But misplaced trust will cause our very foundation to shake when their pedestal topples. The easy answer is to put our trust in heroes who are worthy of that trust. It is also safe to choose unchanging heroes such as Captain Moroni, Alma the Younger, Ammon or Nephi (Great leaders in the Book of Mormon). These men can inspire us just as much as any living examples can – but we are more certain of consistency because of 2 things: 1) They were righteous men who followed God, and 2) They’re example is unchanging because… well, they’re dead… ;-)

      But that’s not the real topic of this message.  The real topic is not about looking for heroes – the real topic is being a hero.  This carries a lot of responsibility – being a hero to someone.  I am confident that you are worthy to be someone’s hero and never disappoint.”

      An added bit to this story is that, whenever Steve writes Landon he refers to him as ‘SonShine.’  I love this endearing title because it speaks loudly of the bright light that he has been in our lives as well as many others.   

      Even when days may be dark and times a little tough it is good to find someone you wish to look up to, to help lighten your burden, brighten your spirits and lift your load.  Isn’t it wonderful that so often some of the humblest of individuals are really the true heroes in our lives?

      Steve finished his letter to Landon by stating, 

      “That about sums it up.  Oh, I have one more thing to add.

Landon – you are MY hero!”