A former BYU quarterback and Super Bowl champion and now an ESPN broadcaster, Young recalled meeting Madsen in Israel — an experience, he said, that changed his life.

"It was not long before he was feeding my soul and teaching me things I'd never dreamed of," Young said. "I began to feel deeply the marvelous life of the Savior."Emily Madsen Reynolds, a daughter, recalled 15 years ago visiting the garden tomb, a site in Jerusalem some Christians consider to be the place where Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

After dropping her off at the tomb, Madsen, then director of the BYU Jerusalem Center, later returned.

"He came to me," she said, "and entering (the tomb) he stopped and read the words on the door: 'He is not here, for he is risen.' On the last couple of words, his voice broke and he put his arms out to me. I stepped into his embrace and we stood there weeping together. So (now) he is gone — but not very far and not for a very long time."

Larry Kee Watchman, a foster son, was a 10-year-old Navajo child when he was placed with Madsen's family about 40 years ago. "Some people have a gift, by the tone of their voice, to bring comfort to those who are in need of comforting," he said. "My dad is such a person … with his deep, big voice."

Last week, as the family gathered around Madsen's hospital bed, someone suggested they sing the hymn "Nearer My God to Thee." Daughter Mindy Madsen Davis was surprised when her father joined in the singing.

"I was sitting cross-legged, facing him on the bed," Davis said. "At one point, he put his hand up to my face and cradled it in his hand as we sang. Such tenderness. We love him because he first loved us."

E-MAIL: mdegroote@desnews.com