President Thomas S. Monson
“On one occasion many years ago, I was swimming laps at the
old Deseret Gym in Salt Lake City when I felt the inspiration to go to the
University Hospital to visit a good friend of mine who had lost the use of his
lower limbs because of a malignancy and the surgery which followed. I
immediately left the pool, dressed, and was soon on my way to see this good
man”
“When I arrived at his room, I found that it was empty. Upon
inquiry I learned that I would probably find him in the swimming pool area of
the hospital, an area which was used for physical therapy. Such turned out to
be the case. He had guided himself there in his wheelchair and was the only
occupant of the room. He was on the far side of the pool, near the deep end. I
called to him, and he maneuvered his wheelchair over to greet me. We had an
enjoyable visit, and I accompanied him back to his hospital room, where I gave
him a blessing.
“I learned later from my friend that he had been utterly
despondent that day and had been contemplating taking his own life. He had
prayed for relief but began to feel that his prayers had gone unanswered. He
went to the pool with the thought that this would be a way to end his misery—by
guiding his wheelchair into the deep end of the pool. I had arrived at a
critical moment, in response to what I know was inspiration from on high.
“… How pleased I am to have been an instrument in the Lord’s
hands on that critical day at the swimming pool” (Thomas S. Monson, “Consider
the Blessings,” Ensign Nov. 2012, 87).
