Looking Out for Others

Spring, summer, winter, fall—when folks in Monticello, Utah, need a little help in their yards or around the house they know where to turn. In fact, when winter snows fly it is not uncommon to find F. Bennion Redd, at age 77, clearing the walks and driveways of widows and other neighbors. Dressed warmly, Brother Redd whips around the neighborhood with his snowblower almost before the snow is through falling. If there is wood to be cut or other good to be done, the people of Monticello count on him to be among those helping out.

“It’s a great little town full of good people,” says Brother Redd with a smile. “Folks here tend to look out for one another, so it’s just natural to be a part of it.”

Serving for over 20 years as a U.S. magistrate judge, he is also a practicing lawyer, secretary in his high priests group, grandfather of 43, and great-grandfather of 13. Well acquainted with the grief of losing loved ones, he is generous and kind to all he meets. His first wife, Margaret, was killed in an automobile accident in 1954, only five years after they had married, leaving him and three children. In 1955 he married Ivalou Sperry, and their family increased to include seven children. When she died in 1974, Brother Redd continued to rear the children himself. His nurturing was needed again years later when one of his daughters and her husband were killed in an automobile accident. The five grandchildren who survived their parents depended on relatives, especially Grandpa Redd.

“For me, the strength and beauty of the gospel derive from its power to unify everything in our lives,” says Brother Redd. He keeps close ties with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and has their birth dates on a computer so that each important day can be remembered with a card or phone call.

“It has been wonderful to have a new temple here in Monticello,” Brother Redd adds. “Since the temple’s dedication, spirituality and temple work in the area have increased tremendously.”