What’s it Like to Assist an Apostle?

There’s definitely a lot to organizing that must occur prior to the visit of a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostle’s to a faraway country like the Philippines.

Planning the logistics, ensuring security, and giving attention to every small detail including the food to be served are all important. Those assigned to these tasks move silently and away from the public eye. It is reminiscent of the duck calmly swimming on the water, all the while its feet are paddling wildly underneath.

Here are some anecdotes showing that while he holds a sacred calling, Elder David A. Bednar and his spouse Sister Susan K. Bednar are just like us as everyday Latter-day Saints: warm, gentle, humorous, and friendly.

Wilmer Buenconsejo felt privileged to be one of the drivers taking Elder and Sister Bednar to their appointments, but he was also nervous. He had to strike a balance between driving at a safe pace and making sure that an apostle of the Lord would not be late for his speaking engagements. “The calm and collected manner of Elder Bednar eased my worries and he spoke nicely to me,” he shared. “After we arrived at the venue ahead of schedule, he smiled at me and said ‘thank you.’”

Sister Bednar was grateful to have Gretchen Berido from the Philippines Area Office as the security officer assigned to assist her. Sister Berido found Sister Bednar to be very nice and humble—and asking for practical advice on the choice of smartphones. “She would ask for suggestions about gifts for her granddaughters and the advantages of android phones to iPhones,” she related, “and would often check if I was comfortable while we were traveling together.”

The only time Gretchen left Sister Bednar was in Tarlac when she had to rush a pregnant sister to the hospital after she suffered a miscarriage in the meetinghouse. It was a delicate pregnancy, but the sister insisted on traveling from her home in Bulacan to the venue in Tarlac because she really wanted to hear the message of Elder and Sister Bednar.

Julius Tirazona, another member of the local security detail for Elder and Sister Bednar, found it refreshing to see a lighter and carefree side of Elder Bednar as he joked around with those traveling with him. “I remember fondly when Elder Bednar was speaking in Tarlac,” he recalled. “Sister Bednar suddenly joined him on the stand to react to what he said and before she sat back down, she kissed Elder Bednar on the lips.” The members of the congregation gushed and cheered, which prompted Sister Bednar to stand up again and apologize, to which Elder Bednar humorously replied: “‘You don’t apologize because you kissed your spouse,’ Elder Bednar told her with a smile.”

Elder and Sister Bednar expressed their gratitude for everyone who helped them during their sixth visit to the country. They even joked about becoming adopted Filipinos the next time they come.

On the evening before their departure, Elder Bednar’s personal security officer Bryan Palmer pulled Elder Steven R. Bangerter of the Philippines Area Presidency aside and complimented how Filipino Latter-day Saints acted with such loving, kind hearts. “Every detail of the Apostle’s visit was perfectly planned, and the people easily accepted last-minute changes or even what Elder Bednar would want to do on the spur of the moment,” he beamed. “I am amazed by the goodness of Filipinos.”