Why Did I Do This?
When I was scheduled to go into the Missionary Training Center on June 29, 1994, I had to fly out of Florida and leave my family a few days early, and then stay a couple days with my sister Jenna LaRose. While at her home, she spent time giving me advice on how to be a good missionary. One thing she showed me and gave me was a key list of scriptures that she turned to often during her mission in the London England South Mission. When she gave me those scriptures, I felt that I needed to study them and get to know them well because I assumed I would use them a lot during my mission to Ecuador.
In 1995, when I was in the middle of serving my Mission in Quito, Ecuador, I had a meeting with my Mission President Albert Farnsworth. I had asked him a question, and I noticed that he looked at a black book that he had. When I glanced at it, I saw that he had an alphabetized listing of different topics with scriptures underneath them. I asked him what it was, and he told me that when he was a missionary he would take scriptures that meant something to him when he read them, and he would compile them into different categories. In a way, he was creating his own topical guide.
I decided that day that I would do the same. I thought it would be neat to have a group of quotes not only from the scriptures, but from good books I read, so that I could refer to them whenever I needed. I have used these quotes in many talks and on the spot discussions I have had. They have helped me quite a bit, and I have always wanted to have easy access to them. This is why I have launched this website, and along with it a mobile version for my phone.
I also feel that I come from a family of “collectors”. My grandfather Leroy Nielson had many collections, but the one I remember most was his incredible rock collection. They were shiny, some cracked open that looked like diamonds, and others that were huge round boulders. I remember he was always “busy” tinkering around with his collection. My brother Leroy also has this same trait, and has a massive collection of books in his basement. Of course, he has turned his desire to collect into a monetary opportunity and sells the books when he can.
I guess this is my “collection” that satisfies that inherent itch in my family! I enjoy reading good things, and saving the words that had the most impact on me at that time.