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SALT LAKE CITY -- In anticipation of the release of LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson's biography, the downtown Deseret Book store has put up a new display about the prophet.
- A Platen Press. The same model Pres. Monson ran when he started his printing career.
- Original Sixth-Seventh Ward pulpit. A young Pres. Monson delivered his first talk more than 70 years ago at this pulpit. He was 10 years old.
- A timeline of events from Pres. Monson's life, with great photographs.
- A 3D model of the home Pres. Monson was born and raised.
- A video wall with clips about Pres. Monson's life.
- A place to add your own Warm Fuzzy. Do an act of service for Pres. Monson and add a Warm Fuzzy to the jar.
There are all sorts of items from President Monson's life on display there, starting from when he was born.
Pictures of a young President Monson, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, decorate the store windows. A timeline display of the prophet is just one of the ways the bookstore is celebrating the release, set for late September.
"I love that the timeline shows the President's life as a man, start to finish," said customer Amanda Kizerian. "It's touching to see him outside of being a prophet."
"I think it's great," said customer Liv Anderson. "It's fantastic, it gives a history about him."
"We really want people to get a greater sense of President Monson and the wonderful life he has lived and the example he has set for all of us," said Steve Willes, vice president of marketing for Deseret Book.
An ornate pulpit is also part of this display.
"This is the pulpit form the ward where President Monson grew up and served as a bishop," Willes explained.
To the Rescue is the much-anticipated official biography of President Thomas S. Monson. Beginning with President Monson's family heritage and his early years in Salt Lake City, it includes his vocational preparation and his career in the world of journalism. More importantly, this inspiring book recounts his lifetime of Church service. CLICK HERE to read more
It's also where Monson gave his very first talk in church when he was 10 years old.
Monson has not yet seen the display but was involved in putting it together.
"He knows about it, and we showed him our ideas and wanted to make sure we got his approval," Willes said.
Besides other pictures of the prophet and a streaming video playing, there is a bin of "warm fuzzies" in honor of the prophet -- small, fuzzy craft balls that each represent an act of service.
"A few years ago President Monson got some warm fuzzies from a Primary that had done some acts of service," Willes said.
The prophet kicked off the warm fuzzy movement by asking members to commemorate their acts of service with warm fuzzies. On the bin is a quote from President Monson: "My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves ... what have I done for someone today?"
Soon in all Deseret Book stores there will be bins of warm fuzzies, filled by people who have done an act of service. In January, they will be given to the prophet himself.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
