- “As a member of the restored church, I have often found myself on the receiving end of Christlike empathy. As young parents, my wife and I spent a year caring for a gravely ill daughter. Our daily lives were in complete disarray. I have to say honestly that at the time, this unimaginable hardship significantly compromised the simple faith that had sustained me in my youth. Our home teacher at the time, Skip Johnson, was initially really at a loss as to how to help us. He checked in, but we’d often be MIA, having rushed to the hospital in emergencies, or spending days at a time there. Skip sometimes felt a bit intrusive asking about the details of our daughter’s deteriorating condition. I came home from the hospital one night so weary, to find that he had let himself into our house, where he stood washing the dishes and scrubbing the sink out. Nothing was that dirty, but I think he found that was a good way for him to work out his frustrations about our situation and to demonstrate his love for us at the same time. There was nothing I needed more than that token of his love and empathy for me. Of all the amazing help that we received during that trial, I don’t know why the memory of that simple gesture sticks with me the most. Skip wanted to enter our burning building somehow, so in “comprehending” us, he decided to do it with our hide-a-key, comet, and a scouring pad. What an inspired minister he was.” – President Scott Smith, San Clemente Stake Conference, June 13th, 2021