The Boy I Was…

I was a typical boy, rambunctious and full of energy. I tried to be good and do what I knew was right. I played baseball, swam and played in the horse field near our home. I was taught to work hard, but we also played and had fun. On Sunday we went to church and on Monday we had family night and on Tuesday afternoon we went to Primary. At night, I would get out my transistor radio and listen to the Cincinnati Reds baseball games.

Sometimes I would daydream about being a baseball player who hit the home run in the bottom of the ninth inning with 2 away to win the World Series, or a basketball player, shooting free throws in a tied game with time expired. I knew about Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan, they were my baseball heroes.

On Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays I learned about Samson, David and Goliath, Elijah, Noah, Nephi, Lehi, Samuel the Lamanite, Captain Moroni and Joseph Smith, they were my gospel heroes. I felt like I was right there when I heard of their mighty feats, defeating the wicked and idolatrous people and preaching the word of God with power.

Sometimes my baseball heroes made errors in the field or struck out, but my scripture heroes never seemed to fail. To my young eyes they led charmed lives. During dodge ball games and snowball fights, I was Samuel the Lamanite, never to be hit by the other team! In my idealistic mind, I built the ark with Noah, the ship with Nephi and fought beside the stripling warriors. I could see myself with the boy Prophet and crossing the plains. I looked forward to the day when I could be a missionary, believing that like Alma and the sons of Mosiah, I could convert countless souls. I would be rich and famous, I had boundless energy and unfailing courage like Horatius at the bridge and muscles like the pictures in the Book of Mormon showed! Life would be easy!

Time has passed and it turns out that I really wasn’t that great an athlete, and truly only converted myself as a missionary, I didn’t get rich and I’m not built like Frieberg’s Moroni. I can’t dodge life’s trials like Samuel could dodge arrows. I feel sorrows that my young self did not know existed.

As I grew up, some of my heroes changed. Today I recognize the wisdom and sacrifice of loving parents. I see in my friends people who love and serve one another without thought of any reward, hoping only that if their mother were in a similar situation someone would do the same for her. I see ward members who I’ve known for years, but did not know of their tireless, angelic service, quietly performed for those about them. I see wives care for husbands and husbands care for wives when one of them is struck by the trials of life. I see neighbors rally out of love.

No, things didn’t always turn out the way I thought they would, but I am surrounded by the best people in the world, right here in Murray, Utah, and I know that God’s hand has brought me these blessings and introduced me to my new heroes, simple folk—just like me. And in my book, that’s good enough.