Every Sunday Edwin R. Miles would journey 50 miles, one-way, to a small town in Alabama, and preside as branch president. He had the love of the gospel and the testimony to do that for several years.
I first met Pres. Miles in 1964 when I was baptized. He was serving as president of the branch in Scottsboro, Ala., a small town of less than 10,000 people, where I lived. In 1964 Alabama did not have any stakes and was part of the Southern States Mission. The Scottsboro Branch was dependent on a larger branch in Huntsville, Ala. We met in various rented buildings.Every Sunday and every Mutual night, without fail, Pres. Miles would drive the distance between his home and the Scottsboro Branch to preside over the meetings that at times would have no more than myself, the missionaries, and Pres. Miles attending. Sometimes one of his daughters would journey with him to play the piano. He made a great sacrifice to leave his family during those years. Pres. Miles made a difference because he took the time to show that he cared.
I came from a broken home, and was raised by my grandmother. On his way to Church, Pres. Miles would always drive by my house and pick me up. In those few minutes that I rode in the car with him, he offered to me the fatherly guidance and advice that I had never had. His advice ranged from guiding me through my first "puppy" love to helping me understand the authority that the priesthood gave me.
His teachings made me what I am today. Without his guidance, I would never have reached and obtained the goals of this life.
Brother Miles now lives in Salt Lake City and is an ordinance worker at the Jordan River Temple.
Submitted by Glenn Hardin, San Antonio, Texas
