A great giant among men passed on today and leaves the world a better place. Elder L. Tom Perry served as an apostle of Jesus Christ and gave 100's of talks, traveled 1000's of miles to serve, and gave countless hours and years of his life to be a special witness of Jesus Christ. This man lived and died a true living example of what we all should be in this life. He exemplified goodness. My favorite thing about Elder Perry were his eyes. I would always call them; "twinkle Perry eyes."
I have always thought that Elder Perry really had a little sparkle in his sweet eyes. His jolly character, big grin, fun sense of humor and very personable character all add to that sparkle. You can tell much about a man by looking into his eyes. There is a history and a sense of who you are that eminates from those little globes. When you look into your eyes what do you see? It's a good test to evaluate who you are and what you want to become. I want to become more like Elder Perry! He was remarkable.
He just spoke to us recently at our Regional Stake Conference. His demeanor and words were inspiring and uplifting. The quotations following are about and from this wonderful Giant among men:
"Elder Perry was a great man, a friend and a tremendous leader," Gov. Gary Herbert said in a statement. "His friendly smile and optimism always encouraged everyone he met, including me, to try a little harder, to stand a little taller and to be a little better."
One of his most well-known quotes came during the 1998 semi-annual church conference, when he said: "The almost universal gift everyone can develop is the creation of a pleasant disposition, an even temperament."
Elder Perry you have lived and served with all your heart and soul. Thank you for the man you were!!! I pray that I can become more like you and add some "Perry Sparkle" to my eye.
Talk we listened to in his honor:
"Finding Lasting Peace and Building Eternal Families"
