Anthony D. Perkins does a great thing.

 Today at work my boss shared a story that I really liked. I don't really keep a journal, so I decided to write about it here, so I don't forget it. 

Tony Perkins is my boss, or I should say, was my boss, as he has taken a new and well deserved promotion in a different portfolio. In my humble opinion, Tony is a great and honorable man, and it has been my privilege to be counted among his employees, and I hope, his friends. 

 Tony relayed a story of when he was a bishop back in a time when cell phones were not as attached to us as they are now. He had an elderly couple in his ward that had been happily married for 60 years.  One day, the sister fell gravely ill and was taken to the hospital. Tony received word that she was expected to pass away soon; and he felt prompted to try to visit her during his lunch hour. 

He left work and went to go catch a bus to LDS hospital. As it turned out, the trip did not go smoothly. He missed his bus and had some difficulty getting to where he was supposed to be. When he finally arrived, (I'm sure in a state of mild frustration and moderate stress trying to find balance between his responsibility to the elderly couple and his obligations at work) he ended up staying with the couple for the whole afternoon as they prepared to say farewell. Before he was forced to leave to catch the last bus out for the evening, he asked the husband to call him when she passed and they would work together to prepare the things that would be needed. 

 Tony then left, thinking that the call would come later when he was home. However the wife died soon after and the husband didn't know how to get in touch with Tony. Knowing that he worked for the church, he phoned the Church office building and asked to speak with Anthony Perkins. His call was forwarded in by mistake to Elder Anthony D Perkins of the Quorum of the 70. 

 

When Elder Perkins' secretary answered the call the elderly brother asked to speak to brother Perkins. The secretary asked what the call was pertaining to, and the brother merely said "He knows why I'm calling and he will want to respond" The message was taken and conveyed to Elder Perkins. 

 In the meantime, Tony arrived home and called the brother and they began preparing for the sister's funeral and making the necessary arrangements, not knowing that Elder Perkins was also now involved. 

When Elder Perkins was finally able to return the call of the grieving brother it was slightly after midnight. After a brief discussion they discovered the mistake and cleared up the confusion. Then, Tony relayed that Elder Perkins, instead of ending the call, inquired what the brother needed.  

At this point, faced with the prospect of spending his first night alone in 60+ years the brother broke down in tears and expressed that he had just lost his wife. Elder Perkins, who had clearly had a very long day if he was returning phone calls at midnight, stayed on the phone for 45 minutes listening to the brother talk about his sweetheart. 

 Later, Elder Perkins tracked down and called Tony to offer advice and give instruction related to the call with the brother about what should be done at the funeral. Then as I'm sure Tony apologized about the disruption, Elder Perkins told him that he prayed every day to find a way to help someone. 

Tony then spoke about sharing his name with Elder Perkins. (They are 3rd or 4th cousins) and wondered if he was living up to his name. 

We, all of us, have taken upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. We are counted among his people. We are sheep in his flock. We are children at his feet. I believe it would be wise to ask ourselves daily, if we are living up to his name. 

Elder Perkins' prayer to find someone to help each day strikes me as one of those simple things that literally anyone can do, yet could have an immensely profound effect on someone's life. 

I have recently put a lot of thought into how simple following the gospel is. A testimony doesn't have prerequisites. It doesn't require years of study and debate. It's accessible to all God's children from the lowliest of us to the greatest. Elder Perkins did not need to lean on his decades of deep gospel knowledge, or his intellect, or his experience. His prayer is one that he could have offered even if he had no knowledge of any of those things. The Lord gives liberally and upbraideth not when we seek his wisdom. As long as we are humble enough to listen, we can all be his vessels.