On May 12, 2025, a post on X by user @TheGermanicist sparked a heartfelt thread among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, inviting them to share their personal encounters of meeting an apostle. The original post, asking, “Who here as met an apostle? I have not and would like to hear some stories,” prompted responses that painted a vivid picture of the profound influence these church leaders have on the lives of members.
What emerged was a collection of stories that not only highlighted the reverence Latter-day Saints hold for their apostles but also revealed the human warmth and spiritual power these leaders embody.
I once helped Pres. Nelson pick out oranges since I was the produce guy at his local grocery store. I could’ve made orange juice from the pressure I was feeling to make sure they were the best!
That was the 2nd time he had appeared there, the first time I came around a corner…
— Nate Vaughn (@vaughnnathan1) May 12, 2025
The thread began with @TheGermanicist sharing their own experience, initially forgetting he had indeed met several apostles. In 2016, while serving dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, he had the opportunity to interact with Elders Henry B. Eyring and David A. Bednar on the 10th floor, a memory made even more poignant by the fact that President Thomas S. Monson, who passed away in January 2018, was still alive at the time. The simple act of clearing Elder Eyring’s salad plate became a cherished moment, a small but personal connection with a leader regarded as a “special witness of Jesus Christ.”
Others chimed in with their own stories of meeting an apostle. @BookofMomma6 recounted a lighthearted moment at a Utah Jazz game where Elder Bednar, noticing her boys, looked at her and said she was “going to the celestial kingdom.” The playful remark left her amused and touched, wondering if it was akin to having her “calling and election made sure.”
Meanwhile, @DanEllsworthVA shared a more direct encounter with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at an academic event where Holland’s son David was presenting. Despite a crowd surrounding him, Holland reached out, grabbed Dan’s arm, pulled him close, and asked his name and how he was doing. The gesture, filled with warmth and genuine interest, showcased Holland’s ability to connect personally even amidst a busy setting.
Knocked on Elder Christofferson’s door while selling pest control in Utah.
As you could imagine, it was the worst pitch of my life:
“Oh! Elder Christofferson… uh….
Well… I am selling pest control.” https://t.co/Ux0Vz1B2KD
— Thomas Stevenson (@RealTStevenson) May 12, 2025
One of the most detailed accounts of meeting an apostle came from @ElGranCheerio, who shared a series of encounters that spanned his mission and beyond. Before his mission, he met Elder Dallin H. Oaks at a church conference, and seeing the apostle shaking hands near the door left a lasting impression. On his mission, he encountered Elder Bednar, describing him as a “spiritual giant” despite his short stature. The power of Bednar’s presence was so profound that one of their investigators decided to be baptized after hearing his testimony, a testament to the apostle’s influence on conversion.
He also met Elder L. Tom Perry, whom he described as “the sweetest person,” likening him to the warm grandfather he never had. Perry’s humor shone through when he playfully shook a missionary from Wisconsin by the neck, declaring, “He’s my kind of boy,” a moment that had everyone laughing.
It’s hard to describe when you meet an apostle. It’s beyond powerful. We’ve met them in our ward, out walking, and even at … yep… Costco. 😂🥰. I was able to speak German with Elder Uchtdorf and Portuguese with Elder Soares. We had the opportunity to attend the dedication of…
— 🇺🇸 Shelle 🇺🇸 (@shelleUSA) May 13, 2025
Meanwhile, @NoblestCalling shared a more chaotic memory of hearing Elder Bednar speak, only for a kid to pull the fire alarm, forcing everyone outside—an unexpected interruption to a spiritual event.
Have you ever met an apostle? If so, we would love to hear about it. Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
At BYU, the student group I was part of got invited to sit in the president’s loge for a football game. We decided on a meeting spot and started walking to the stadium together. Someone mentioned the ominous clouds, and within just a couple minutes, they released a torrential downpour. By the time we got to the stadium, we were trudging through several inches of rain to get to the elevator. We had to dress up for the game, so when we got to the loge, we looked like fancy drowned rats. The elevator opened, and not only was the president of the university there but also President Uchtdorf, Elder L. Tom Perry, and Elder Holland. We were awestruck and completely embarrassed as we rushed to the attached bathroom to try to dry off at least a little bit with paper towels. Resigning to our fate, one of my friends and I finally left the bathroom to go get some food. Elder Perry walked up to us. He was so tall. And broad shouldered. And amazing. He looked at us with a giant smile on his face and told us they had offered his wife a blanket, and she wasn’t even wet! He looked over at her lovingly and then asked if we wanted his suit jacket. My friend and I of course declined the offer (something I regret to this day) even though we were freezing and could have both fit in there with room to spare. He shook our hands and told us to come over if we changed our minds.
I love that memory. That same night, I watched Elder Holland eat more caramel corn than should be humanly possible, but I loved it! At one point, he caught my friend and I watching him, and he just smiled and winked at us.
Meeting the apostles in a setting where we were watching BYU clobber the University of Texas made them more real. They fidgeted and cheered and stress ate just like I did that night!
We met Elder Faust while standing in a line at the Utah State Fair. He turned around and talked to us, and spoke about our little baby girl, Rachel.
A year later we were at a Stake Conference in Morgan, Utah. Elder Faust was there. He left the podium, before church started, walked clear back to where we were sitting , and stated talking to Rachel by name. He remembered her and us.
When my husband was serving as Bishop, Elder Groberg came to visit us and our children. He talked to them about his mission experiences, and left a prayer and blessing on our family. All 3 of our boys served missions, so I think his visit was a part of it.
Elder Gong was sitting in front of us at a BYU football game. I asked him why he wasn’t sitting up in the presidential suite with all mucky mucks. (not a very flattering description of important people on my part.) He just gave me a sweet smile and said “I wanted to sit down here by you!” It melted my heart and I will always remember him for his loving kindness.
Not only did I meet an Apostle, I was interviewed by him for 20 minutes! I was a convert to the Church at the age of 20, and when I was 22, I applied to go on a mission. I was told that I needed to be interviewed by a General Authority. When Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to town for our Stake Conference, my Bishop arranged for me to be interviewed by him. As just the two of us sat down in the empty High Council room with the door closed, the first thing he said to me was, “Well, what’s your problem?” I was stunned. I wasn’t sure why I was being interviewed by him. I said, “I don’t know”, in a stunned and puzzled voice. He said, “Well, you must have one if they sent you to see me.” Now it became clear that something in my past, before I joined the Church, must be the reason I was sent here. Brother Stapley began reading over all my application forms, trying to figure out what it was that was “wrong” with me. As he silently read the forms, he occasionally would ask a question, without even looking up. After many questions, Brother Stapley looked up from the papers and said, “So far I can’t find the problem”. Evidently, he expected that there was one. He went on to the medical form. He asked me every question on it, my whole medical history. Then he turned to the next page of the medical form and almost immediately he said calmly, “Oh, here’s the problem”. It was that I had taken drugs as a teenager before I joined the Church. He said just one thing: “Do you have any desire to ever take drugs again?” “None at all”, I said. That was the end of that. Up to now Brother Stapley had been sitting there, calmly but sternly reading my forms, asking questions, etc., hardly ever glancing up. This whole time I was staring at him, trying to get any indication at all of what he thought about me, if I was saying the right things, if he thought I could go on a mission. Not the slightest indication was visible in his expression or actions up to now. He hadn’t smiled once. I was nervous. Then finally he put down the forms, looked up with the first smile I’d seen on his face since we were introduced, and said, “Brother Hansen, I see no reason why you should not go on a mission”. Oh I almost collapsed from the relief from the tension and suspense of the last 20 minutes! Then he said, “Come and visit me when you’re in the Mission Home if you have time”. Wow! Can you believe it? What a nice man! It was an experience of a lifetime, to be interviewed in private by an Apostle of Jesus Christ! I will never forget it. (I did go on a mission, by the way!)
A number of years ago, Elder Richard G. Scott presented at a single’s fireside. At the end of the meeting, he asked everyone to remain seated so that he could get to the door and shake EVERYONE’S had as they left the chapel!
Next, I saw him during a presentation during the Olympics. I touched his sleeve and told him how much I loved him. I thought to myself, “Oh brother. He’s going to think you’re a stalker!”
I guess he didn’t because I’m still out of jail:)