briancguthrie

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Mission Information

Title: Elder
Mission Start Date: 1977-11-17
Mission End Date: 1979-11-19
First Mission President: Kenneth Ryan Myers
Last Mission President: Briant Grant Smith
Areas Served: Vienna (twice) and Linz (twice)

Personal Information

First Name: Brian
Middle Name: Carl
Last Name: Guthrie
Bio: Got married in Dec 1980 to Linda, a recent convert I met at Institute after my mission. In 1984 I graduated from the Univ of Fla. Since college, my career has included both military (active duty and reserve) and civil service (DEA), with a recall to active duty right after 9/11/2001, after which I just stayed on active duty. We never intended for me to make a career of the military but it's a different world now. We are only a few years away from an active duty retirement, so we might as well finish it now. We had the opportunity to live in Germany for five years, 1987-1992, and I helped tear down the Berlin Wall in 1989. Germany was our favorite assignment so far. We have also lived in Texas three times (El Paso, Wichita Falls, and San Angelo); Plattsburgh, NY; Washington, DC; Omaha, NE; and Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, FL, in addition to Germany. Besides Europe, I have also worked in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, in places where I could not take my family; sometimes I was gone for several weeks, sometimes for many months, but we have always been blessed and protected. Even when a drunk driver hit us head on on the open highway near Tampa in 1998, we didn't lose anyone. Our youngest, Amber, only had a one percent chance of survival according to the medical specialists (I have pictures of the family at the end of my photo section on this website). She not only survived, but is living quite normally, as is everyone else who got hurt. I will say this: though most of them mean well, many Americans have no idea how much we take for granted here in this country. This includes the benefits of the Spirit of the Lord having been poured out on this land, a fact which still influences our society for the better. This is hard to see if you have always lived in the Western World and have nothing to contrast it with, but it is a fact. Much of the world is truly what we might consider a living Hell, harsh places where the strong prey on the weak, and nobody is there to help because of corruption, selfishness, and general lack of societal order. I have seen some very sad things, especially where children bear the brunt of poverty and the often Telestial nature of mankind. We have not had to cope with that lack of order here, except briefly after hurricanes and other natural disasters. I worry about our blessed and favored status, though, as our society drifts further and further from qualifying for those blessings. Mankind alone cannot solve the problems we face; only the Savior's influence can. Linda and I have both had a lot of opportunities to serve, for which we are very thankful. It has been crazy at times, but our burdens have often been lightened miraculously. I am sure you know what I mean and have similar experiences. If we were not so busy, I don't believe we would be as happy. The Lord has really blessed us! Let us hear from you!

History

Member for: 3 years 28 weeks