“Friend to Friend,” Friend, Oct. 2000, 6
Friend to Friend
Follow the prophet; he knows the way (Children’s Songbook, pages 110–111).
I was born in Oakland, California, in 1942 and spent my early years in Alameda, California, in the Bay area. When I was about ten years old, we moved to a little town called Niles.
From a very early age, I became appreciative of cultures and people. On my first day as a fourth grader in Niles, I was told that our school had religious instruction for all students. Everyone went to either the Protestant section or the Catholic section. I didn’t think I was either one, but I went with the Protestants and enjoyed singing those old hymns. Later, I had a good Jewish friend all through high school. I liked athletics and became very close friends with many black and Hispanic boys through sports.
I later served a mission to Chile. Following my mission, I attended the University of Madrid in Spain. I lived in a pensión (boarding house) with about twelve or thirteen other students from various parts of Spain. Because of my experiences, I have always been very interested in studying cultures and have come to appreciate all of them.
My grandparents on the Winkel side were converted to the Church in Holland at the turn of the century. On my mother’s side, my ancestors were pioneers who made the trek from Nauvoo, Illinois. My parents were always good, strong members of the Church. My dad was bishop and stake president while I was growing up. Later he served as a patriarch, and my parents served a mission. My father and mother were good examples and wonderful people.
My parents brought me to Salt Lake City to general conference when I was about eleven or twelve years old. After conference, we got in line to greet the General Authorities as was the custom in those days. I especially remember meeting President David O. McKay, the President of the Church then, and thinking what a great man he was. He made a tremendous impression on me.
When I was stake president in Eureka, California, I went to one of the wards to visit their Primary. When I arrived, they had already begun their Sharing Time. As I walked in, the chorister said, “Children, guess who is here? How many of you know who this is?”
They all popped their hands up, and she pointed to one, who said, “It’s the prophet!” I wished for them that it had been.
You children love the prophet. From a very early age you have learned a great appreciation for him in the songs you sing and the talks you hear in Primary. You know that he is the Lord’s representative here on earth.
We have a great prophet now, President Gordon B. Hinckley. During his administration we have seen the miracle of the temples, now numbering around one hundred, and the tremendous growth of the Church through missionary work.
When I was called as a General Authority, President Hinckley asked my wife and me about our children. We talked about our youngest daughter, who was fourteen at that time. Several times afterward, when I saw President Hinckley, he asked, “How’s your daughter doing?”
President Hinckley is concerned about everyone, especially missionaries. While I was serving as a mission president in Madrid, Spain, one of our missionaries was injured by some young men who pushed and shoved and beat him. We had to take the missionary to the hospital. President Hinckley heard what had happened and called to find out how he was doing. It was a great example to me of how concerned the prophet is about people.
Latter-day prophets have taught that the family is very important. I had wonderful parents, a great brother, and five marvelous sisters who were always singing. We were a musical family. My brother and I were really close friends, and we both liked sports. We were on the high school football team together. He was a quarterback, and I was an end, so it was “Winkel to Winkel.” We were on the high school varsity basketball team together. We played baseball together. And we both played on the BYU freshman basketball team.
My wife and I have seven daughters and two sons, and we have a lot of fun as a family. My children understand the meaning of work, too. I owned a lumber business in northern California, and they all worked there.
The modern family, unfortunately, doesn’t spend as much time together, doesn’t even have dinner together as often. Family members tend to go their separate ways. If we are going to be close as families, we need to follow the prophet. We need to stick with the basics by having family prayer, holding family home evening, and reading the scriptures together. You can help remind your family to do these things.
When my children were young, I served as a bishop, played ball, and owned my own business. But we always found time for family home evening each Monday night. One of our activities was learning the Articles of Faith. Whoever memorized them got to go on a special outing with Dad. One of my sons who met this goal chose to go bowling. Since a nearby bowling alley was open all night, we decided to go there at 5:00 A.M. We had so much fun that the whole family went bowling several times during early morning hours.
We need to follow the prophet by spending time together as families.
1. With his dad at age 2
2. As a 14-year-old
3. As a high school football player
4. Before leaving for the Valley Forge Jamboree as a 15-year-old Explorer Scout in 1957
5. At age 14, working on the first chapel in Fremont, California, with his best friend, Mike Blount (right)
6. Elder Winkel with his family