Elder Dale G. Renlund's father knew how it feels to be a refugee in Europe because he was once a refugee himself.
Mormon Newsroom United Kingdom published an article Jan. 20 detailing Elder Renlund’s heritage and personal connection to European current events. Elder Renlund is one of three new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Thinking about refugees in Europe and thinking about what’s happening now, to then think that my father actually experienced that firsthand as a refugee in late 1944 — this may be of some interest from his perspective, from Europe’s perspective, because he experienced that,” Elder Renlund told Mormon Newsroom. “My father remembered to his dying day, with gratitude, the kind people of Sweden who took him in as a refugee."
Elder Renlund speaks fluent Swedish, not only because he served a full-time mission to Sweden but also because his parents are Scandinavian immigrants, and they spoke the language in the family's home when Elder Renlund was young.
“My mother tongue is Swedish, and we spoke Swedish in the home until our parents recognized that we were going to be needing to get to school,” Elder Renlund said. “And then our parents made a conscientious effort to speak English in the home to help their children.”
Read the full story on Mormon Newsroom United Kingdom.
Lindsey Williams writes for the the Faith and Family sections of DeseretNews.com