Three times the joy as triplet missionaries arrive home together
Aug 2, 2023, 10:34 PM | Updated: 10:43 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family welcomed home not one, but three missionaries Tuesday at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
Denise Ashworth’s triplet sons arrived home the same day after serving two-year missions in different locations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I’m so thankful to have my boys all back together,” Denise Ashworth said.
“The fact that their flights all landed within 30 minutes of each other, I tell people, ‘God is in the details,’” she said.
Cole Ashworth served his mission in Portland, Oregon. Tanner Ashworth served in Tucson, Arizona and Brandon Ashworth served in Detroit, Michigan.
“Two years ago, Brandon and Cole left on the same day and Tanner left five days later so we weren’t sure if it would work out for them to come on the same day,” Denise Ashworth explained. “But Tanner’s mission president said, ‘I feel like you need to go home with your brothers,’ and he arranged it that they could come home the same day.”
The missionary trio from Highland City met up by their gates and then walked out of the secure area of the airport together to greet their family.
“As soon as I saw them come through I just lost it. I just couldn’t keep my emotions together,” Denise Ashworth said. “The lives that they’ve touched, and the people that they’ve helped, has been inspiring and the miracles that they’ve seen, I’m privileged to be a part of it and I’m so proud to be their mom.”
Family and friends gathered with signs and posters at the airport and cheered when the triplets appeared. The three missionaries walked directly to their mom and the four embraced.
“It feel like I’m dreaming,” Cole Ashworth said about the homecoming.
The brothers said they dreamed of what it would be like to come home. They noted that before their missions they’d only been apart for a week or two at most.
“My flight came in after theirs so they were they waiting for me,” Tanner Ashworth said. “When I saw them I started tearing up because I love these guys and it was really hard but I’m grateful to be back.”
“The amount of lives that I saw changed because of the gospel of Jesus Christ is incredible,” Brandon Ashworth said.
Denise Ashworth said her next project is getting her triplets off to college.
“I signed them all up for the same classes because it was easier,” she said. “But I did tell them that they don’t have to match like when they were in elementary school—they can wear their own outfits.”
