Orange Pop, a Celestial Drink

The following post is from my father, George Ross. Thanks for writing this, dad!
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What does orange pop have to do with exaltation? As it turns out, a great deal. While serving in the U.S. Navy over 40 years ago, I met a man named Dennis. Dennis and I were stationed aboard the same ship and became good friends.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Dennis was his choice of drinks. While on liberty, the rest of us would opt for beer or other alcoholic beverages, but Dennis drank exclusively orange pop. You see, Dennis was a Mormon – the first Mormon I had ever met.

We all teased Dennis mercilessly, but he stayed true to his beliefs. Again and again we would order him all sorts of drinks, but he would just smile and order orange pop. It became a contest with his shipmates to see who could break Dennis down. None of us succeeded.

Even though I was one of the most dedicated teasers, my admiration for Dennis was strong. It made me want to know what it was that gave him such conviction.

I remember one day Dennis pulled a picture from his wallet and said, “When we get out of the Navy, I want you to meet this girl.” It was his girlfriend’s best friend. I was immediately very impressed.

Well, we did eventually get discharged and Dennis stayed true to his word. He introduced me to a wonderful and beautiful girl, who just happened to also be a Mormon.

Partly because of her charm and partly because of Dennis and his orange pop, when this girl asked me to meet the missionaries, I readily agreed.

The rest is history. The girl became my wife, the mother of my six children – three of whom have served honorable missions.

And to think, it all started with orange pop.