Tickets were free but were distributed in each ward. There were even special tickets for priests and laurels (16-18-year-olds) to be able to sit on the floor right in front of the speakers.
I didn't think I was going to be able to make it due to the physical hardship and how late it was. But then a member of our stake presidency told us we should make every effort to attend despite hardships. He told us there were 7 1/2 billion people on earth and only 15 prophets, seers, and revelators. And two off them will be coming to speak to us. And only one of those 15 is the Lord's chosen prophet who can exercise all of the keys of the priesthood. And we have the opportunity to see him and listened too him in person. So I decide I would make every effort to attend.
Since he was called as an apostle in 1984, President Nelson has always been my favorite apostle. Now he is the Prophet. President Eyring is Dad's favorite apostle. So it was even more special that President Eyring accompanied President Nelson on this historic trip.
Needless to say we were all very much looking forward to this devotional.
We left home at 1:30 PM. Had to pick up Nancy and fill up the car. We had a full car. Six people. I had to ride sideways. Rex and Dad in the front, Mom, Lisa, and Nancy on the back seat.
We made it to Seattle around 3:15 PM. Took us about 45 minutes and three or four circles around Safeco Field to find the parking garage for which we had a free ticket. Once we found it we didn't have to find wheelchair accessible parking. Finally got parked and there was a huge line we had to wait in. By the time we got to the front of the line after about an hour 15 minutes it was 5:30 PM.
By then most of the wheelchair seating was occupied. We were sent on wild goose chases up and down elevators and around Safeco Field. Finally about 10 minutes before the devotional will start we found a spot way behind the speakers. But at least we were there before it started and found a place to sit.
Then, some extremely rude people came behind us (which was just an aisle not intended for people to stop) and were extremely noisy. There was a man, a woman in a wheelchair and a toddler. These people acted like they were at a baseball game instead of in the presence of the Lord's Prophet and Apostle. The toddler kept running around screaming and talking. But what's even worse is the mother directly behind me kept talking to the toddler in a loud voice. All the while I'm trying to listen to President Eyring speak. "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie do you want bananas?" "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie do you want nuts?" "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Ellie don't go over there you might fall, come back here..." and on and on and on. At least three times I said, "quiet!". To no avail. And she was not talking quiet like she would (or should) if she was a Stake Center for church building. She acted like she was at a ballgame instead of a devotional where the prophet was presiding.
I felt especially bad for Dad because he was so looking forward to listening to President Eyring especially, and he couldn't hear what he said.
I'm extremely disappointed in my fellow Saints and their lack of respect for others and especially for the lack of respect for an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and the prophet! It was a big hardship for us to attend that devotional, just to have it ruined by rude people who are supposed to be followers of Jesus Christ. Why did she even go if she wasn't going to listen? Just to ruin it for others I suppose.
So that put a damper on our experience. But it was still awesome to be in the presence of the Lord's Prophet on the earth today. And one of his chosen apostles.
What little I did hear from President Eyring was that President Nelson receives revelation from the Lord. He testified of that. He also talked about different times he was in the presence of prophets as a child and when he was older. President Eyring has now been a counselor to three prophets, President Hinckley, President Monson, and President Nelson.
President Eyring is a very humble man, as are all 15 of those who are called and set apart as prophets, seers, and revelators. President Eyring is a wonderful example of dedicated Christlike service. As Dad said the other day, "President Eyring always has the Holy Ghost with him."
Then Sister Wendy W. Nelson spoke. I love her. She joked about craving a hot dog and hearing the song, "Take Me out to the Ballgame" in her mind. She said that usually doesn't happen at devotionals. This is the first time they have spoken at a devotional at a baseball field.
Sister Nelson told us she received confirmation of her husband being the Prophet but said the experience was too sacred to share over the pulpit. She said that, as an apostle, President Nelson would often times receive revelation but that those revelations have increased exponentially since he became Prophet. She shared that President Nelson often receives revelation during the night or in the early morning hours. She said he keeps a yellow legal pad by the bed to record the revelations he receives.
She told of one incident when she was sleeping and it was early morning and she wasn't ready to get out of bed yet. But she kept having the prompting that she needed to leave the room. So she got up and left the room. She said President Nelson emerged about two hours later after having received revelation. She said her ancestors are happy when this happens because she usually does family history work during those times.
She testified that President Nelson is the Lord's Prophet. She said, "This is indeed the Lord’s church. Everything in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints belongs to Jesus Christ; the covenants are his, the ordinances are his, the priesthood power is his. And the prophet is his.” (Quote taken from the Deseret News)
Then we got to hear from President Nelson. He told several stories. Some I had heard before. One store had not heard before was when his children were teenagers they took a rafting trip down the Colorado River. At one point the rapids were getting fierce and he instinctively grabbed onto his wife and child. But let's not holding onto the boat. He was catapulted out into the river and found himself underneath the raft trying to reach the surface. Just when he was out of breath he reached inside of the raft and was pulled back in. He used that experience as an analogy to hold on tight to the Gospel.
Another story he told was when one of the nurses he worked with (President Nelson is a world renowned cardiothoracic surgeon) asked him why he was different than the other surgeons. His answer was that if he was different in was because he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He then gave his only copy of the Book of Mormon (I think he was traveling or something and only had one copy with him) to her and her surgeon husband to read. A while later her husband brought the book back to him, tossing it to him saying "Thanks a lot". President Nelson thought, "Thanks a lot?" that's not a proper response. He said, "You didn't read it did you?". His fellow surgeon admitted that he did not read it. President Nelson told him to take it back and return it after he'd read it. The surgeon returned it later in reverence telling President Nelson that he knew it was true. Then President Nelson knew that he actually read it.
President Nelson gave us a prophetic promise that if we would read The Book of Mormon everyday, we will be immunized from the temptations of the adversary and we will not fall. I thought that was the most profound statement of the night. That's a pretty powerful promise coming from the prophet of God.
Another quote I found in the Deseret News:
“Have you ever wondered why the institution of the church is necessary?” said the global religious leader. “Why aren’t good deeds alone adequate in the eyes of the Lord? Why was the church restored in these latter days?”
President Nelson emphasized the importance of helping God’s children hear “the message of the gospel” and of finding joy in families being “sealed for all eternity in holy temples.”
“We are living in the most crucial era in the history of the world,” said President Nelson. “Since the beginning of time, prophets have foreseen our day and prophesied about what would take place during this winding-up period before the Savior comes again.”
As a church, “we need to be doing what the Savior wishes us to do. And as a people we need to be looking and acting like true followers of Jesus Christ.”
The church, he added, has a “simple and sincere” message for the world: “We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, to receive the blessings of the holy temple and qualify for eternal life, so that they can have enduring joy now and forever.”That's what it all boils down to. Bringing people to Christ so they may have eternal life and experience enduring joy. That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ is about. That's why we have the church, prophets, missionaries etc. It's all to bring people to Christ.
After the devotional as President Nelson, Sister Nelson, and President Eyring were leaving, the entire congregation at Safeco Field sang, "We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet". The Spirit was strong and testified that we were in the midst of the prophet of God and one of his apostles. I felt the confirmation also when Sister Nelson spoke.
The devotional ended around 7:15 PM. After maneuvering through the crowd to exit Safeco Field in fighting our way to the car, we had to wait in the car for over an hour before we could exit the parking garage. It was ridiculous. We sat in Safeco Field parking garage for approximately 3 hours yesterday. The devotional was only an hour 15 minutes.
We didn't make it home until after 10:00 PM. Needless to say I was physically spent. I'm still feeling it today. But despite all of the hardships and everything we endured, It was worth it to listen to a prophet's voice.
Of 7.5 billion people on planet earth right now, yesterday I was one of the lucky few who got to sit at the feet of the prophet of the Lord and be taught.
President Nelson announced at the end of the devotional that there were 49,089 people in attendance. The newspaper reported that it was the largest nonsports crowd ever at Safeco Field. And the second largest event ever at Safeco Field. Including sporting events.
Despite living in one of the least religious states, there were still plenty of saints who made the effort to hear the word of the Lord through his prophet, President Russell M.Nelson.
I'm extremely grateful I had that rare opportunity.
That's my two cents.
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