Thomas S. Monson on the heroes in our personal hall of fame

President Thomas S. Monson (b. 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"In the interior of our consciousness, each of us has a private Hall of Fame reserved exclusively for the real leaders who have influenced the direction of our lives. Relatively few of the many men who exercise authority over us from childhood through adult life meet our test for entry to this roll of honor. That test has very little to do with the outward trappings of power or an abundance of this world's goods. The leaders whom we admit into this private sanctuary of our reflective meditation are usually those who set our hearts afire with devotion to the truth, who make obedience to duty seem the essence of manhood, who transform some ordinary routine occurrence so that it becomes a vista whence we see the person we aspire to be....

"Some may question, 'But what is the value of such an illustrious list of heroes and heroines, even a private Hall of Fame?' I answer. When we obey, as did Adam, endure as did Job, teach as did Paul, testify as did Peter, serve as did Nephi, give ourselves as did the prophet Joseph, respond as did Ruth, honor as did Mary, and live as did Christ, we are born anew. All power becomes ours. Cast off forever is the old self and with it defeat, despair, doubt, and disbelief. To a newness of life we come—a life of faith, hope, courage, and joy. No task looms too large. No responsibility weighs too heavily. No duty is a burden. All things become possible."

- Thomas S. Monson, "My Personal Hall of Fame," Ensign, Nov 1974, 107; reprinted Ensign, July 1991, 2
Click here to read the full talk

Who are my heroes and heroines? That's a telling question in many ways. It reveals our priorities in life and shows where our focus is. Those we respect and admire most will be those we emulate most, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously.

This was a very interesting talk by President Monson, discussing some of those who are in his "personal hall of fame" and encouraging us to consider the same question. This was a wonderful summary of the transforming power the right kind of hero can have in a life: