Visitors to Utah, whether heads of government, members of royalty or leaders of business and civic organizations, have friends-in-waiting in Salt Lake City.
Boyd and Jean Christensen head the list of those friends. Called more than two years ago as volunteer directors of Church Hosting, they supervise 10 other couples who greet and host guests from throughout the world.As Church hosts, the Christensens and those serving under their direction befriend rather than proselyte visitors. Making visitors to Church headquarters feel at home tops the list of their duties. Seasoned experts in the art of putting people at ease and turning total strangers into instant friends, the Christensens seem naturally suited to their task.
Part of their success stems from their first-hand knowledge of how new faces in the crowd really feel. Utah natives, they moved 24 times before settling into their present home in the Monument Park 17th Ward, Salt Lake Monument Park Stake.
They began their venture into the world outside Utah soon after their marriage in the Salt Lake Temple in 1946. Both graduated from Utah State University, and then went to California where he received a master's degree in 1950 from Stanford University in business administration.
"Our time at Stanford was a very enriching experience," Sister Christensen said. "We discovered we made friends easily, that we were comfortable away from home and familiar things, and with all sorts of people."
Career opportunities through the years brought further relocations of home and family, which includes two sons and two daughters, now all married. For the most part, the family moved many times between California and Illinois during his career with Allstate Insurance Co.
He served as president of the company from 1968 until 1973, when he accepted the post of assistant secretary for administration of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He left that post in 1974 to assume duties in Logan as Utah State University's vice president of finance and administration.
The Christensens moved to Salt Lake City in 1980 when he became general manager of the Utah Municipal Power Systems. After he served as president of the New York New York Mission from 1983-86, he became general manager of the Intermountain Power Agency.
Their numerous experiences in relocating, according to Sister Christensen, helped them develop empathy for people who might feel out of place in a new city, whether stopping for just an hour or settling in for a lifetime. They learned how to meet people and make friends.
One example of Brother Christensen's style of making friends occurred when he first went to his office at HUD and discovered many employees had never seen the executive suite. Feeling the only way he could get his job done was to get to know the employees, he went out to meet them - all 2,500. In addition to getting to know HUD's employees in Washington, he met most in the department's 10 field offices.
For Jean Chandler Christensen, her feelings of comfort around others began in her girlhood home in Ogden, Utah. "I feel my best education for life came from around a big kitchen table when I was a young girl," she said. "We all loved to sit and compare our day and talk about things that happened.
"My father was outgoing. He completely, honestly accepted people regardless of their situation or station in life. I saw many people who needed help come to him. I think the gift he gave us was our ability to accept people."
As a school girl, she sought out children who were shunned by classmates. Today, she still wants to make everybody she meets feel important and liked.
She adapted well to the social and business functions that accompanied her husband's career, and she created her own associates as well. She held numerous administrative and teaching positions in the Church, including Relief Society president, counselor and teacher; Young women president; and counselor and teacher in the Primary.
At the same time, she blended into the school, community and civic fabric of each city and state where her family lived. In several cities, she organized community groups, bringing talents, capabilities and vocations of adults into the lives of children at the request of schools. Plaques, certificates of appreciation and other awards from numerous groups attest to her accomplishments.
"I just followed the pattern of the Relief Society organization," she said. "I asked people to help with the things they were very good at. If I had not been a Relief Society president, I never would have had the courage or expertise to do what I did."
Serving with her husband as a Church Hosting director helps her accomplish one of her personal goals. "I try to enhance people's understanding of Mormon women," she noted. "So many people have a great many misconceptions about us."
Clearing up misconceptions about Church members in general is one of the charges given the Christensens. "Some people come to Salt Lake City not knowing anything about the Church or its people," said Brother Christensen. "Others come here thinking they know about us, but some of the things they think are far from the truth. We try to clear up those misconceptions.
"Generally, after a few hours, or a day or week - however long they stay - they gain a much better understanding of who we are and what we stand for. We're friends by the time they leave."
Seeing people gain a more full and complete understanding about the Church brings the Christensens great satisfaction. They related numerous stories about visitors who became friends.
They hosted one such guest, a man they took on tours of Salt Lake City, including Temple Square and Welfare Square. They drove him to BYU and arranged a visit to the Missionary Training Center. They invited him to a sacrament meeting and accompanied him to a family home evening.
The visitor's warmth toward the Christensens and the Church grew with each experience. At the airport, before he boarded the plane he turned and embraced his host. "Brother Christensen," said the man, "call me `Brother.' "
That, said the Christensens, is the essence of the rewards that come with serving as directors of Church Hosting.
