. But my mother is a saint.], in the words of her husband, D. Todd Christofferson, "Those who know my Kathy have observed that I married much above myself, a conclusion I heartily agree with.". . He has also been in the presidencies of the church's Utah North, Utah South, North America Southwest, North America Northeast, and Europe West areas. He also served as the stake president in Tampa Florida. His mother recalls, While at Highland High School, he attended Boys State in Boise, Idaho, and was elected governor by all of the other delegates. Other significant moves for the Andersen family included southern Brazil, as part of the Area Presidency (and where Kathy worked hard to finish her degree, completing eighteen credit hours in Portuguese), western Europe as an Area President, and Mexico to supervise the Church's work there and in Central America. And then one day, she opened her eyes. Elder Andersen and his wife, Kathy Williams Andersen, are the parents of four children and 12 grandchildren. . I remember praying in my mind that I would say the words that needed to be spoken, he recalls. Neil owned a prosperous and growing advertising agency. Education is one of your prime objectives, Elder Nelson said. Her boys would roll their eyes, but they would also stop. For many years my assignments as a member of the Twelve took me away from Salt Lake City oftensometimes for five weeks at a timeleaving her alone to care for our small children and our home. This is how Elder NeilL. Andersen has lived his lifeacting in faith. In addition to English, he speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish. For much of my life, I have been trying to become what she thought I already was. She is the sunshine of my life, Elder Uchtdorf says with a smile. At the pinnacle is my wife, Kathy, the maker of our home, the light of my life, a steady and wise companion, filled with spiritual intuition, good humor, goodwill, and charity. I thank my Father in Heaven for my sweet companion, Frances. Neils parents taught their family through their own faith and sacrifice. Above, from left to right: Neil (center) with his parents, Kathryn and Lyle, and siblings Lauri, Sheri, and Alan, 1962; Neil as a young boy on the farm in Idaho. I think listening to my wife, next to listening to the Holy Ghost, has been the most important influence in my life.. I love her and appreciate her more than words can express. Some of the delegates began to challenge his beliefs. As evening discussions turned to subjects around the world, Neils membership in the Church became evident. That love brought us to the altar in the temple of the Lord. My wife, Kathy, is my light and example, a precious daughter of God, full of purity and innocence. Now, for some reason, Im feeling all those feelings again. Faith and trust in the Lord give us the strength to accept and persist, whatever happens in our lives. She was all in. The Lord has rewarded them richly with choice companions and wonderful children of their own, Elder Andersen says. Elder Neil L. Andersen and his wife, Sister Andersen. Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium AGE 70s Kathy Ruth Williams Radcliff, KY Aliases Kathleen Young Wilbanks Kathleen Ruth Wilbanks View Full Report Addresses Never a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. in the words of her husband, Gary E. Stevenson, "She is the sunshine in and of my life and a remarkable daughter of God.". "[11], Andersen married Kathy Sue Williams in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975 while still students at BYU. His only question was if he was really prepared to serve. Elder Renlund called himself a "horrible dater" and his attempt to ask Ruth to a date was met with a "no." I'll give her tribute for making something of me. Elder Neil L. Andersen and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, greet Sister Cheryl Wilde and Elder Gary Wilde, an Area Seventy, after Elder Andersen threw the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on July 19, 2019. . The Path to Martyrdom: The Ultimate Witness, Guarding against Danger from Within: The Legend of Mixco Viejo, Managing Postpartum Depression: A Gospel Perspective, Young Adults Represent Church to Australian Federal Parliament, Church Offers Comfort from Floating Hospital, Thousands Participate in U.S. Day of Service, Elder Neil L. Andersen: Man of Faith, Ensign, August 2009, 1015. Her sacrifices to bring our ten wonderful children into this world, teaching and training them, while always supporting me without a murmur through my responsibilities in the Church and in my profession, are monumental. Church leaders pose for a French photographer in front of the Christus statue in the courtyard of the Paris France Temple during the temples media day, April 7, 2017. I believe God is with us the way my precious wife, Pat, is with my singing. Elder Andersen served a mission in France from 1970-1972, presided over the France Bordeaux Mission from 1989-1992, and accompanied President Henry B. Eyring as he dedicated the Paris France Temple on May 21, 2017. Elder Andersen and his wife, Kathy, are the parents of four children and 12 grandchildren. He was called to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1993 and was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 2009. Then, though it was midnight, Elder Andersen drove several hours to take the young man home. I have never known Frances to complain once of my Church responsibilities. 198489: Counselor, Tampa Florida Stake presidency, 198992: President, France Bordeaux Mission, 199293: President, Tampa Florida Stake, 1993: Called to the First Quorum of the Seventy, 199497: Counselor, Europe West Area Presidency, 19982001: Executive Director, Church Audiovisual Department, 200205: President, Brazil South Area Presidency, 200809: Senior President, Presidency of the Seventy, April 2009: Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Photographs courtesy of the Andersen family, except as noted; background and far left: photographs by Craig Dimond. I also know what it is to be blessed again by my Heavenly Father in marrying a second time, also to a woman of compassion and generosity of spirit, who has once again completed my family circle. He was president of the Idaho Association of Student Councils, which included all the high school student body officers throughout Idaho., As a freshman at Brigham Young University in 1969, Neil Andersen was a diligent student. The couple has four sons. -In his addresses, Elder Hales frequently refers to Mary as my dear companion, Mary.. I understood that as we are true and faithful, ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us] (1Peter 3:15), the Lord will bless us beyond our own abilities.. View Kathy Sue Williams results including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Below: Neil as a missionary in France, 197072. On February 14, 2009, he broke ground for the construction of The Gila Valley Arizona Temple, located in Central, Arizona. -Wendy was a marriage and family therapist and professor at BYU before her marriage to Elder Nelson in 2006.-Elder Nelson frequently relates events the two of them have done together and how those events provided for spiritual inspiration. Elder Andersen shared this photo on his Facebook page on July 23, 2020. Andersen has been a general authority of the LDS Church since 1993 and was a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from 2005 to 2009. Kathy Andersen is on Facebook. From In the Strength of the Lord, his first conference talk as an Apostle: My wife, Susan, is a virtuous woman and a righteous mother. He arranged to take her on a date through a mutual friendeven though she wasnt initially keen on a blind date. I admired her before I fell in love with her, and marrying her was the best decision I have ever made., [Adds their daughter, Kathryn: Dad was a perfect father, she says. Opposite page, from left: With President JamesE. Faust following production of the movie The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd in 2000; speaking at a celebration in connection with the rededication of the So Paulo Brazil Temple in 2004; as mission president with President BoydK. Packer while creating the Bordeaux France Stake in 1992; with Elder D.Todd Christofferson during the April 2009 general conference. Despite the terrible change in the young mans appearance caused by his current crisis, Elder Andersen recognized him and called him by name. Making the journey to Church meetings was something they just did every Sunday. The Andersens were so faithful in having family scripture study and singing a hymn each night that the children would do it alone if their parents returned home late. Once, when I received a promotion, my boss told me that I wouldnt be where I was without my wife, says Elder Hales. The calling of five new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy was announced during the opening day of conference, Saturday, April 3. Join Facebook to connect with Kathy Andersen and others you may know. What a privilege it was for me to donate mine directly to her. This was the first time 16-year-old Neil, raised on a small farm in Pocatello, Idaho, had ever flown on an airplane, traveled so far from home, or been among so many bright and sophisticated young people. Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles serve under the direction of the First Presidency. The first words out of his mouth were, Hal, Id like to ask you to be the president of Ricks College., in the words of her husband, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, I [am] married to the woman I [have] loved ever since I first saw her.She is the sunshine of my life., -While trying to win over Harriets heart, Dieter F. Uchtdorf would frequently ride his bike to her house, hoping to give her a ride to a church function. [8] Andersen reaffirmed the LDS Church's stance on marriage in the April 2019 general conference. She said, I forgot to mail in our fourth-quarter income tax payment., I said to her, Frances, if you had said that before you extended a kiss to me and told me you love me, I might have left you here!. Once I married her, he adds, the standards in my life went way upbeing totally consistent in prayer and scripture study, keeping the commandments with precision. 10. He married Kathy Sue Williams Andersen and they are the parents of four children. He, however, looked her up in the student yearbook as soon as it came out. He and Kathy were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, just before he graduated. Neil engaged in several successful business ventures, including real estate development, health care, and advertising. I thought of that many years later when she needed a transfusion urgently and her blood couldnt be matched readily with donor blood from the blood bank. Her name was Harriet, and I think I fell in love with her from the first moment I saw her. One Sunday the missionaries brought a new family to our meetings whom I hadnt seen before. It was the first time that the award has been given to a religious leader, and the first time given a citizen from outside of Brazil. He taught about pure faith and obedience with exactness, and the Lord poured out His miracles upon us.. Despite the pressures of his work and his Church callings through those many years, his devotion to his family never wavered. After his mission Neil continued to excel at BYU. [3] From 1997 to 2001, Andersen was a member of the general presidency of the church's Sunday School. They lived 90 miles (145 km) from the meetinghouse. Mary and Roberts teamwork has been an example to many, including their daughter-in-law Susan. Elder Eyring stops again. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks to members before applying mortar at the cornerstone ceremony of the Lisbon Portugal Temple dedication on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. She also served a full-time mission to Sendai, Japan, which brought added meaning in their recent visit there after the one-year anniversary of the tsunami. You have to understand something. He saved our son.. Several months later, when it became apparent that Loras time on earth was limited, Elder Andersen gave Lora a beautiful blessing, which brought her so much comfort in anticipating her passing from this life to the next. This experience and many others like it taught me that the Lord responds to the small and simple prayers of all of us., Life on his parents farm instilled the principle of hard work in Neil. 8. For example, he took each one individually to breakfast with him once a month. After returning to Florida in 1992, he was called within a month to be president of the Tampa Florida Stake. Russell Ballard: True to the Faith: I married the right woman. Elder Andersen has served as an Apostle for over a decade. After I met her, I never went out with anyone else. I am the bishop of the Stanford ward. He and his wife, Kathy Sue Williams Andersen, are parents of four children. ", General Authorities and General Officers: Elder Neil L. Andersen, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neil_L._Andersen&oldid=1147860057, American general authorities (LDS Church), Counselors in the General Presidency of the Sunday School (LDS Church), Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy (LDS Church), Short description is different from Wikidata, Latter Day Saint biography Infobox with missing parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, This page was last edited on 2 April 2023, at 17:04. in the words of her husband, Robert D. Hales, Mary has never held me back. Elder Andersen is multilingual. She was always preparing for that as an individual.. A mutual friend thought they should meet, and they danced for about 30 seconds. In the News. He went. "He was a lot of fun," she says. He said, Mary is your greatest asset, and dont you forget it. And I never have. I didnt know him.. When things were tight, she held a second job at night. For family home evening, the Andersens would often study the conference talks in the Ensign. What followed was a little miracle for me. Where would I wear it? she asked. My wife, Mary, has been the joy of my life. It was a little hard convincing her. in the words of her husband, David A. Bednar, "Purity and goodness are evident in her countenance.". He and Kathy were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, just before he graduated. Elder Andersen shared this photo on his Facebook page on Dec. 24, 2016. I knew that his teaching at Stanford was wonderful, but I felt there was something he could teach that could truly change lives. She knew about the Church Educational System (CES) and somehow remembered that Neal A. Maxwell was the commissioner. When I got home, I saw a beautiful dress in a store window and suggested to my wife that if she liked it, we would buy it. She taught me how to listen and to love. As we left the store, I asked, What happened? She replied, It was a beautiful dress, but we cant afford it! Those words went straight to my heart. Elder Andersen says, Kathy is absolute and uncompromising in her loyalty to the Lord and to me and the family. We accepted the call not knowing how we would make the transition work., Sister Andersen adds, I have always had confidence in his faith. This doesnt mean that an unnatural aura of sweetness and light surrounds the Oaks household. (I told the freshman young men on Friday that if they studied really, really hard, this is what they got at BYU.) Sunday School general presidency. The mother of a young man whom Elder Andersen had once met briefly recalls that at one point her son was on the verge of emotional and physical collapse when he saw Elder and Sister Andersen sitting at a table in a cafeteria. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975. She went to the hospital. They are the parents of four children. -Dantzel and young Russell Nelson met as cast members in a Broadway-bound musical called Hayfoot, Strawfoot. In large measure its her spiritual influence that has led to not only this beautiful and special calling but to everything that Ive done spiritually. Then, in April 2009, he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. She is in every way supportive and is a woman of quiet and profoundly powerful faith. ChurchofJesusChrist.org Gary E. Stevenson . It is impossible not to love her completely and want to do things for her. FromAre You True?, their very first devotional together at BYU: She does not know Im going to do this, but I need my wife, Pat, to come up here with me. Im afraid I used a touch too much ginger, she will say, or, Next time, I think it would be better if I used a little more curry and one additional bay leaf.. Opposite page: The Andersen family in France while Elder Andersen served as mission president, around 1990. Actually, looking back, he says, I recognize that it doesnt hurt at all to be on good terms with the mother of the girl of your dreams., -President Uchtdorf frequently shares interactions hes had with his wife in his talks. Neil Linden Andersen was born on Aug. 9, 1951, in Logan, Utah, as the third of five children of Lyle P. and Kathryn Andersen. [3] As a young man, he served in France as a missionary for the LDS Church. My dear brethren and sisters, since our last general conference, my sweetheartmy beloved wife for 59 yearspassed away. She looked me in the eyes and sweetly asked, Are you buying this for me or for you? In other words, she was asking, Is the purpose of this gift to show your love for me or to show me that you are a good provider or to prove something to the world? I pondered her question and realized I was thinking less about her and our family and more about me. I thought that these missionaries were doing a very, very good job. One February evening in 1968, Neil Andersen found himself the center of attention. She has given and given and givenof her time and of her loveall her life(from "Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles"). Kathy Sue Williams, age 60s, lives in Choctaw, OK. View their profile including current address, phone number 405-732-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles helps guide several children to participate in the cornerstone ceremony of the Lisbon Portugal Temple dedication on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. That lesson learned so many years ago has made a tremendous difference in our marriage. To be with a companion such as I have that's so supportive and so wise, it's made all the difference for me. He is truly an example of the Saviors admonition to seek out and serve those in need.. Thank you sweetheart. After sitting on the stand for 10 years, I was now sitting with my family on the back row. The STANDS4 Network. I thank her for the woman she is, for the lessons she has taught me, and for the love we share. Kathy was to prove to be more than a good wife and mother. But a few months later, Renlund asked again and the two began dating. Menu Log In Sign Up The best example of that happened when Hal had been teaching at Stanford for about nine years. But it wasnt long after that when the phone rang and Commissioner Maxwell, who apparently knew of Hal Eyring, was on the line asking if Hal could come to Salt Lake City. Kathy Anderson Williams See Photos Kathryn Anderson (Kathy Lambright) See Photos Kathleen Anderson (Kathy) See Photos Kathleen Anderson (Kathleen Kathy Beth Hughes) See Photos Kathleen Anderson (Kathy Daly) See Photos Kathleen Anderson (Kathy Stackhouse-Veliz) See Photos Katherine Anderson (Kathy) See Photos Kathy Anderson (Kathy Williams Anderson) Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. [3] They are the parents of four children.[12]. 1. -Kathy met D. Todd Christofferson while they were studying at BYU. -Thomas S. Monson first saw his wife, Frances, at dance at the U of U. . Kathy was the strength that held them together and kept them realizing that this would be a positive experience for them.. From Marriage Is Essential to His Eternal Plan: Many years ago, Sister Bednar and I were busy trying to meet the countless competing demands of a young and energetic familyand of Church, career, and community responsibilities. Elder Andersens family moved to Pocatello, Idaho, when his father became a dairy farmer, Sister Kathy Sue Williams, while attending school at BYU, executive director of the Churchs audiovisual department, The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd. The process hadnt been easythere were moments of suffering and despairbut finally my happiness was full, and it still is, even more so. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. When asked about that night, Kathy is not sure what it was that brought forth that question. Elders F. Melvin Hammond, Kenneth Johnson and Lynn A. Mickelsen, who have been serving in the . We always have been a team and always will be. Neil L. Andersen (1975 - ) Edit. Once I married her, the standards in my life went way upbeing totally consistent in prayer and scripture study, keeping the commandments with precision.
Danielle Husband Pinellas Hope,
Jeffrey Wigand Wife Lucretia Nimocks,
Articles K