Yesterday was Brother Wilcox last official class. He teaches institute up at the U and after 38 years, has retired.


He has been teaching this adult class out in draper for the past 21 years and I have been lucky enough to be able to attend for about the last 7 years.





He pretty much just taught this class out of the goodness of his heart. Didn't get paid for it, but asked us to send a donation to the Perpetual Education Fund.


I'm so grateful to Nancy for telling me about the class. We kind of started going with a group of ladies...Nancy, Colleen, Jerry, and myself. Then it kind of dwindled to who ever could make it.


Every wednesday, when we would pull up to the stake center, the streets would be lined with cars for about a block every direction because the parking lot was full! Every week, he would fill the chapel, overflow, and most of the gym with people who would come from all over the valley to hear him talk.


People of all ages would come, mostly middle aged women, older men with their wives, and younger people too. They even had a room where young mothers could go with their kids to listen.


He taught a different course every year...he even spent one whole semester on the book of Revelations. He has written a book about the book of revelations, so he has a lot to say about it! He is seriously one of the most knowledgeable men I know...he knows the scriptures inside and out but what keeps people coming back is the way he presents the messages the scriptures are trying to teach us. He has a way of getting things from the scriptures that I would have never even considered. When he explains these scriptures I have looked at for years and just thought "well, I guess I will never understand what that means" he pulls things out of it and cross references verses that help explain the deeper meaning and suddenly it just all makes sense! He has a million wonderful stories too that make his teaching really enjoyable...if we weren't laughing, we were usually crying.


Somehow he makes you feel like he is talking just to you...and always makes the messages very personal and meaningful.


Katie took some classes from him when she was going up to the U and became a big fan also. I think she owns all the CD's he has made and has turned to them many times for knowledge, help and comfort. I have a lot of his books too. He has taken people on tours through Isreal and the Holy Land, Church history sights, Nauvoo, and China, and lots of other places. He is going to continue to do that and I hope someday Kelley and I could go on one with him.


Anyway, his wife got up at the end of class yesterday and thanked US! for coming to his class! She said there wasn't anything that made him happier than teaching hungry students. And that totally described the group that would show up there every week. We would get there...no matter the weather, park blocks away, then pack into this building, with scriptures, notebook, and pen in hand...hungry to be fed.
I always leave his class uplifted and with my mind swirling with new thoughts. It's been like a refill of my drained bucket that will get me though the week. I'm just grateful that I had the experience...he has taught me so much.