Former Area Seventy Jeffrey C. Swinton and his wife Heidi S. Swinton, who is known for writing the official biography of President Thomas S. Monson, arrived in Hawaii on Jan. 15 to begin their new callings at the Laie Temple Visitors’ Center.
“I’m a missionary, set apart as a missionary, as a companion to my husband who is the director,” said Sister Swinton, clarifying their separate roles.
“I’m responsible for everything that goes on here at the Visitors’ Center,” added Director Swinton. “I’m also responsible for the sisters while they are in the center, and the two other service couples.”
In addition to being an Area Seventy, Director Swinton has also served as a stake president. And, from 2006 to 2009, he and his wife served as mission presidents of the England London South Mission, where he served as a young man. Although only a little less than a month into his calling as the new director of the Visitors’ Center, Swinton said he has already noticed differences from previous callings.
“Stake president and Area Seventy were more administrative callings,” said Director Swinton. “Here I focus on one thing: bringing people to Jesus Christ. And it’s nice to have just one single focus. Life is still complex, we just don’t give the same attention to all the other things like we did before.”
The couple said the call to Hawaii was unexpected. “We didn’t turn in papers, so we did not expect the call, but that’s the way it happens,” said Sister Swinton, who is no stranger to surprises.
One night in June of 2008, Sister Swinton recounted, while serving as mission presidents in England, the phone rang. “He said, ‘President Monson's on the phone. He wants to talk to you,’” said Sister Swinton. “And my first thought of course, was, ‘Oh no, what have I done?’”
Sister Swinton said she and President Monson chatted for a long time before he explained that he had been receiving pressure for a long time to have a biography written, and he had finally decided he wanted her to be the author. “Nothing could’ve been further from my mind,” said Sister Swinton. “I was not a part of his inner circle, but I think that was good because I could look at it with fresh eyes.”
The process took a total of two and a half years, and it included not just writing, but going through files, reading journals, and speaking with him one-on-one. “[The hardest part was] the weight or the responsibility — knowing I had to get it right. I had the life of a prophet of God in my hands, and this is how people would come to know him,” said Sister Swinton.
“I still marvel that the Lord had me do that for Him, for one of the finest men here on earth. Because he really is as good as you think he is, as good and as pure as you’d like a Prophet of the Lord to be.”
“It was remarkable to see how the Lord expanded her days,” said Director Swinton, who explained she was still able to keep up with all her responsibilities as a wife, and as the mission president’s wife for all the missionaries in the 300-mile stretch across England.
Now the couple finds themselves overseeing a smaller area in a different capacity. “Finding people is much different because people come to us,” said Director Swinton, who explained the changeover from the old director of the Visitors’ Center was quick. They spent no longer than an hour together before he was handed the keys and they said their goodbyes.
Despite the newness of it all, Swinton said he has no worries about the calling.
“We were very attached to the old director and his wife,” said Sister Zena Weygandt, a sister missionary from Japan. “But I think the Swintons are great. They seem very determined to apply Preach My Gospel topics to get us focused and working hard here at the Visitors’ Center.”
“They seem very focused on what the purpose of a Visitors’ Center is,” added Sister Jennifer Nielsen, a sister missionary from Idaho who has been serving for less than a month. “They're willing to try different ways to make it better. And they're really loving. They make me feel at home.”
The Swintons are originally from Holladay, Utah, and have five sons and 12 grandchildren. Sister Swinton said they met on her first day at the University of Utah, and five years later they were married. Both agreed that what they love to do together is talk about the gospel.
“I'm very lucky,” said Director Swinton. “I married my intellectual and spiritual equal or superior, and we’re very happy.”