Brother White

In Utah the high school children are privileged enough to be excused from regular classes to attend religious classes for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of my teachers in the Seminary program was Brother White.
I had just moved to a new school at the beginning of my junior year. I knew no one, and had left behind all familiar family. Seminary quickly became the place where I felt at home. I love religion. It sings to my heart and calls me to a place where I didn’t know I belonged. I had several teachers during my junior who taught me the gospel and helped me in various scholastic, emotional, and spiritual ways.
My senior year presented a change in the basic program. Usually all the grades were taught from the same course of study. But when I was a senior the officials changed the program so that each grade studied a specific book of scripture. This left the seniors in a position of having never studied the Doctrine and Covenants. Brother White took on a special class just for the seniors, in which we covered the Doctrine and Covenants.
Being in a seminary class with only seniors, and only seniors who wanted to be there, was an amazing experience. The level of spirituality and scholarship in the classroom was amazingly sweet. Every day Brother White had someone share a “sweet fruit”; an experience that strengthened faith and testimony. I loved the sweet fruits. Sometimes people would share experiences of spiritual promptings; others would share special times when their testimony was strengthened. All the sweet fruits were very personal. I loved learning about the gospel in such an individual way.
Brother White advised the seminary council as well. I was a member of the 20 or so students that made up the council. For training one fall Saturday Brother White took us on a hike to the top of the Wellsville Mountains. He made the entire journey an allegory, stopping every so often to make some simile or other to the gospel. Before long the rest of us caught on and began making parables of the mountain - problems that look huge at first end up looking small as you press on – sins are like rocks in the shoe that need repenting of – God’s gifts are not always visible at first, but after some experience we understand them better – enduring to the end will win the prize – helping others along the way is what the Lord wants us to do – and on and on we went.
Some things I will never forget about Brother White. He loved his wife. He often talked about her when he taught, and he told us once tearfully that he never knew that he would love her so much more now than he did when they got married. I was impressed by that and wanted to find someone I could feel that way about. He had an infectious laugh, and smiled very easily. He loved to hear a good joke, and loved even more to hear a touching story. He never has forgotten my name. I still see Brother White every now and then, just by default of living in the same community. And even though it has been over ten years since that special senior’s seminary class, he always remembers my name and wants to know how my life is going. That is a special talent, and an impressive one. I’m glad I had the example of Brother White, as well as his advice and friendship during that critical year of my youth.