My Uncle John

My father was a great man, and I love him dearly. But I am not going to talk about him today. As close as any man can get to but not be my father is my Uncle John. He is family, and I have some wonderful other Uncles. But he showed his love for others both family and friend alike ever since I have known him. And that has always included me. Now John is not ever actively gone to church but has taught me more about my own beliefs than almost any other man. I had never witnessed or heard about a time when someone was in need he did not do what he could for them, even when the person in need was not living the lifestyle he thought they should. I have never heard a false statement cross his lips. And for a man who compared to me is small in stature he has time and time again shown himself to be a man that has a much larger heart than any man I know.

My Uncle John has always been a father-like figure to me, and I have always felt like we have a very special relationship, and we do. But I am not alone, I am not unique. Through his love and concern for others, my uncle John has developed very similar relationships with many others. But for me, our relationship started when I was a young boy when visiting them I always was at his feet. So much so he often had to reprimand me while he was doing any number of building projects due to my safety.

But one day while installing posts for a new deck he was building on his house, he let me come closer because there was not any danger in what he was doing. "What are you doing? I asked him, "Installing posts for the new deck," He replied. "Why are you doing that?" he then carefully explained not only why he was doing the work, but showed me what he was doing and explained every aspect of the job so my little 3 or 4-year-old brain could understand. After completing his first post, he began a very similar process to install the following post.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I had to be part of what he was doing. "Installing the second post for the new deck," was the reply. "Why are you doing that?" And again he carefully and patiently described the reasons and the process behind what he was doing. He then moved to begin installing the third post.

"What are you doing?" By now he was probably wondering if I had understood anything, "Installing the third post for the new deck," "Why are you doing that?" "To make you ask questions," was the reply. Then there was silence, and although I remember none of this I am told my answer after thinking for a bit was simply "Well, I guess it worked." But with the patients of any Father, he continued to always teach me, and help me. There are parts of who I am today that are my Uncle John, there is no genetic code that put them there, they were set there by his love for me, and the example he gave me of his love for others.

To me, there is no way I can know the type of man Christ was except through the example of others, as they strive to live like Christ. I have had many models, and in every case there is always the accompaniment of the Holy Ghost, that at least in the situation I was witnessing, this person is emulating The Savior. So many times throughout my life I have witnessed the actions of Christ through the actions of others. Though weak in many ways, as is all of us, my Uncle John has been one of best examples I could have had.