Dec
17
Truman Madsen, my favorite teacher
December 17, 2007 by Giuseppe Martinengo Leave a Comment | Filed in Famous Mormons,Mormon Church
I know personally Truman Madsen, and I am highly impressed with his personality and knowledge, and also with his ability to make alive the history of the Church and especially the story of Joseph Smith.
I had recently the opportunity to watch his new released DVDs about Joseph Smith, “On Sacred Ground”. If you loved his tapes, you need to watch those DVDs. I always expect great things from Truman, but this time he surprised me. I found more than I was expecting.
A few years ago, I lived in the same ward where Truman attended Church. At that time I really did not know Truman Madsen, but one Sunday he substituted for another teacher in a Sunday School class.
I loved his lesson, even if I could not understand all the words he was using (I had arrived from Brazil only a few months before and my English was not “perfect”). Since I was the Sunday School President I went to the Bishop and suggested that he call Truman Madsen to be our regular teacher in the Sunday School. The bishop told me that Truman was a busy man and that it would be too hard for him to accept that assignment. I insisted a little bit and then left things in the hands of the bishop.
The bishop probably prayed and decided to call him. This was sometimes in 2001. I have left that ward several years ago, but last time I met Truman Madsen he told me that he was still teaching in the Sunday School and that the new bishop did not want to release him.
I can say with complete assurance that the best thing I did as a Sunday School President was to suggest to the bishop to call Truman as the Sunday School teacher.
Today I was looking for some information about Truman Madsen. I knew he had his birthday a few days ago but I was not sure in what year he was born. While browsing the internet I found this interesting blog post, titled “Why Truman Madsen is not an apostle“.
I really do not know why he is not, perhaps just because there are only 15 slots available, but for sure, after I saw his last DVDs on Joseph Smith, I think that the blog’s author must not be too far from the truth when he says,
Truman has been granted the gift of time–time to think and to write and to speak. And not only to speak, but to speak to the faithful and devout. To speak to people beyond the level of the novice. To touch hearts without being constrained to address every comment to the recent convert.