BORN:
9 August 1951
PLACE
OF BIRTH: Logan, Utah, United States
FATHER: Lyle Peter Andersen
MOTHER: Kathryn K Andersen
ELDER NEIL L. ANDERSON
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Key Doctrines:
Elder Anderson requests, “If you’re not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart—painted, as Paul said, ‘not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.’" He often speaks of miracles, and also guides us about the sacredness of the “fountains of life and being Christ like.
"At times you don't know everything but, you know enough to keep the commandments and do what is right." [2]
"I testify that as you love Him, trust Him, believe Him, and follow Him, you will feel His love and approval. As you ask, “What thinks Christ of me?” you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself." I have felt these words to be true in my life. [3]
As a mission president in Bordeaux, France, President
Andersen counseled the missionaries: “Don’t live your life without
miracles.”
I learned:
When Neil was five, his family moved to a dairy farm in
Pocatello, Idaho, where he remembers doing "typical Idaho farm work, from
morning to night.” He raised rabbits, rode horses, and played in the fields
with his siblings. “I milked a lot of cows and moved a lot of irrigation pipe,”
he says.
In high school, he excelled in student government, serving
as governor of Idaho Boys State. His mother recalls, “While at Highland High
School, he attended Boys State in Boise, Idaho, and was elected governor by all
of the other delegates. He was president of the Idaho Association of Student
Councils, which included all the high school student body officers throughout
Idaho.”
As a freshman at Brigham Young University, Neil continued to
work hard. He secured a job, and his day began at 4:00 a.m. cleaning the
bathrooms in the library before attending classes. His sister Sheri notes,
“as driven as he was by education, he was always planning to go on a mission.
His only question was if he was really prepared to serve. I was so impressed that
faith was a choice to him.” Elder Andersen also remembers putting the question
to the Lord . . . [and] the feeling came, “You don’t know everything, but you
know enough.” [4] Armed with that
assurance, Neil Andersen accepted a mission call and served faithfully in
France.
Returning to BYU, Neil became involved in student
government. While campaigning for student body office, he met Kathy
Williams. They had their first date on her birthday and were married in
1975. Speaking of that day Kathy commented, “I thought he was the most
remarkable man I had ever met, and that holds true to this day and
forever.” Kathy states, “Neil is a man of great faith. It is one of the things I love the most about
him. He believes that if we trust in God
and do our part, miracles will follow.” He confides, “Once I married her . . . the standards in my life went way
up—being totally consistent in prayer and scripture study, keeping the
commandments with precision. She has a pure and disciplined faith.”
He graduated from Brigham Young University, where he was an
Edwin S Hinckley Scholar, and earned a masters of business administration from
Harvard University. After completing his education, he settled in Tampa,
Florida, where his business interests included advertising, real estate
development and health care.
Elder Andersen supervised Church audiovisual production,
including the filming of The Testaments: Of One Fold and One Shepherd and
managed construction of the broadcast facilities in the Conference Center as
the executive director of the Church Audiovisual Department. While serving in
this position, he had almost weekly meetings with President James E. Faust
(1920–2007), who was at the time the Second Counselor in the First Presidency.
“One time I went to President Faust with a piercing problem I didn’t know how
to solve,” Elder Andersen recalled. “He said, ‘Neil, have you prayed about it?
Have you prayed all night like Enos did?’ And then he sat back in his chair and
said, ‘I’ve prayed all night many times to receive the answer to difficult
challenges. That is how you will get your answer as well.’ He was right.”
Elder Andersen speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish in
addition to his native English.
He teaches:
"As we trust in the Savior, promised miracles will
occur. Whether in this life or the next, all will be made right. The Savior
declares: 'Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27).
'In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world.' (John
16:33)"
Elder Anderson asks us to “imagine the scene of the eleven
Apostles . . . when the risen Lord came to them and said: ‘Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them’ (Matthew 28:19)” . . . ‘Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15).”
“ ‘All nations’? ‘All the world’? ‘Every creature’? Was it
possible? . . . (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:17–18).
Faith overcame doubt, and Peter lifted his voice, saying: . . . ‘This
Jesus … God [hath] raised up, [and] we all are witnesses.’ (Acts 2:14, 22–23,
32)”
“This is the scope of the work to which all followers of
Christ are called. Time has not altered the Savior’s instruction. We are to
teach and baptized all—every creature! We also must rely on faith and heavenly
help to overcome doubt and accomplish so great a task.” [5]
[1] Elder NEIL L.
ANDERSON,of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Come
Unto Him,"
179th Annual General Conference, April 2009
[2] ELDER NEIL L.
ANDERSON,of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Your
Know Enough"
178th Semi-Annual General Conference, October 2008, Liahona and Ensign, Nov.
2008, 13.
[3] Elder NEIL L.
ANDERSON of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles "What
Thinks Christ of Me?" 182nd Annual General Conference, 1 April
2012, or Ensign, May page 111)."
[4] ELDER NEIL L.
ANDERSON,of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, "Your
Know Enough"
178th Semi-Annual General Conference, October 2008, Liahona and Ensign, Nov.
2008, 13.
[5] Elder NEIL L.
ANDERSON of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. "It’s
A Miracle" 183rd Annual General Conference, 7 April 2012
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