In the spirit of Thanksgiving, President Jim Wilson reflected this November on the life of Kevin Kunf and his dying wish to visit the temple.
President Wilson, now a member of the Yucaipa California Stake presidency, served as Kevin’s bishop in the Yucaipa 5th Ward.
“Kevin was a miraculous young man and his desire for the things of God were inspirational. I’m grateful I could be part of his life journey and play a small role in helping him achieve his final wish,” President Wilson said.
Kevin Kunf Jr. was born Sept. 16, 1986, in Yucaipa, California, and lived there his entire life. He was not raised in the Church but his father taught him to have faith in God, live virtuously and be willing to serve those around him. Throughout his youth and young adult life, Kevin had many friends who were members of the Church, and when the restored gospel was presented to him by missionaries, he embraced it and was baptized. He was 22 years old.
President Wilson said, “He often felt as if he had finally found a group of like-minded people that shared his values and faith.
Approximately one year after Kevin’s baptism, he was diagnosed with desmoplastic sarcoma, an extremely rare form of cancer with fewer than 200 reported cases. At the time of his diagnosis, Kevin was in the midst of training to become a firefighter with the Redlands California Fire Department.
Read the rest of the story at the Deseret News
wow! He was actually blessed, because if he had postponed his baptism 1 year he would not have entered the temple.