Day 115: The Great Elder LeBaron

Evelyn Marshall sent over a couple of excerpts from President Marshall's (dad's mission president) journal:

RJM Australian Journal December 4, 1972

Mon., Dec. 4 --- I stayed up late working over a ‘roo skin for Elder LeBaron. He has now been with us, sans the five weeks spent in Whyalla with Matthew, since our arrival 16 months ago. He is just great, and mere words cannot express the affection we feel for such outstanding elders.

RJM Australian Journal March 16, 1972

FAITH PROMOTING STORY: I have been distressed at locating and calling another assistant to go with Elder Nordfors for the next months. I thought of Elder _______ as an interim choice. He goes home in May. He’s not as strong as others; but I couldn’t decide on them; I’d have a more sure feeling by May. However Elder Maxfield tells me that earlier on his mission he wasted much time. Can’t a man repent? Yes, but we looked to others: Wilkey, Lambert, Carlile. Back and forth we toyed with these names. I threw in others, LeBaron, Geo. Jackson, Penfold, Grover, et al., but we ended up with the above three, shifting about their names as preference dictated, but holding to these three each time we cast a written ballot. Then I started saying to myself, yes, but Elder Nordfors, strong as he is, is weak in English and writing . . . and so are the three finalists. Where is the man with the erudition to help carry off the many written programs we’ll be using on our new Xerox press? I started looking at the files, going over the letters written me by the finalists. They were weak. And then I thought of Michael Larsen, the new financial secretary. He’s going for a PhD in physics. I opened his file and picked out three letters. Two were handwritten and showed ability and skill. But the third, typewritten, was a perfect delight! It showed a wide range of things: excellent structure, vocabulary, depth, spirituality coupled with a pleasant humor. Eureka! I’ve found my man. Then I came to the last page and looked at the signature: NBL. In filing someone had misplaced in Elder Larson file a letter belonging next door, to Neil B. LeBaron. But I had my man. We will call him back from Whyalla, and I thank the Lord for his great persistence with me.