Buboo’s Bookcase

I Want to Share This Story With You

A quick Introduction

In the future, you'll come across content labeled “From Buboo’s Bookcase.” 

This label will signal that the content originates from a special collection of articles, documents, stories, and quotes meticulously gathered over five decades. 

I'm thrilled to have you here and excited to share the story behind “Buboo’s Bookcase.”

Let’s get into it.

You already know I am Russell Anderson. You probably didn’t know that I am Loren Anderson's baby brother.

Buboo

Loren was 12 years and four months, my senior. To me, he was bigger than life in many ways.

As a toddler learning to talk, I had difficulty saying “brother.” So, when it came to calling for Loren, my big brother, I could only muster the word “Buboo.” 

That’s what my parents told me later in life. 

So you get it right: The nickname is pronounced Buhboo with a phonetic emphasis on the “uh,” but it is spelled Buboo without the “h.”

Regardless of spelling, “Buboo” stuck as a nickname for Loren in our home. And that is who he is to me to this day and forever. 

So, now you know whom I am talking about, whether by the name of Loren or Buboo.

A Gospel Document Hoarder

Buboo loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ and possessed an insatiable desire to learn everything possible about the Gospel and the restored Church.

He loved the scriptures and mastered the contents in the “Standard Works.”  I have never encountered anyone better versed in the scriptures, gospel doctrine, and church history than Loren, including past and present leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 He supplemented scripture study with other printed books, magazines, periodicals, or single proclamations from Church leaders. With time, Loren amassed an impressive gospel library. Then, he would scour the materials, extract topic-specific points of doctrine, and file away the reference.

The Collection Grows

These documented sources, many of which were obscure and had not seen the light of day for decades, covered many topics, including church history, church government, gospel principles, and the restoration. 

General authorities, dating from Joseph Smith, Jr. to the present, have authored most documents except for scriptural references.

These documents contained direct quotes and written teachings of the prophets and notable church leaders and were a resource of immeasurable doctrinal wealth to Loren.

Loren carefully marked, color-coded, indexed, and filed each reference into a four-drawer file cabinet.  

Buboo was always excited to share documents from his files. 

From when I was 14 years old, our routine was to plop down in front of the filing cabinet on the floor whenever we got together. 

Sometimes, he would have something specific to share. Other times, he would open a drawer and pull out a random paper. Then we would sit there, usually, with me listening and him teaching the doctrine from the written word. That routine became a personal custom between us.

When we were apart, it was not unusual for a printed copy of some discourse of a prophet to show up in our mailbox from my big brother. Then we would get on the telephone and chat about it.

For over fifty years, Buboo’s collection grew and grew. 

The Collection Is Organized

The pages of many documents ultimately stuffed a four-drawer file cabinet to overflowing.

That prompted Loren to take the next step in the curation process. 

He meticulously copied each of the hundreds of documents stored in the file cabinet, reduced them to 4.25” X 5.50” pages, and organized the content into color-coded binders by ten main topics. 

I.     Apostasy

II.    Character

III.   Family

IV.   First Principles

V.    Godhead

VI.   Gospel Principles

VII.  Plan of Salvation

VIII. Priesthood

IX.   Restoration

X.    Revelation

The colors of the binders match the scripture marking system he devised decades before.

A Source of Learning

Looking back, I realize those times we gathered around his library were special, perfect moments.

Our parents embraced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as converts before I was born and were sealed together in the Salt Lake Temple.

I was the only one of four children born “in the covenant.”

My parents introduced my brothers and me to the gospel, laying a firm foundation. And we are eternally grateful. 

But more apparent than ever is that my Buboo taught me, his “Little Boo,” the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

When it comes to big brotherly love, it doesn’t get any better than that.

The Collection is Made Public Bit by Bit

For over five decades now, I have treasured Buboo’s collection.

At times, we would talk about digitizing his collection and making it available to the general public. Loren liked that idea a lot!

But Buboo passed away on June 9, 2022. So, he and I didn’t have the opportunity to finish compiling his collection for distribution while he was alive.

 However, I will be going through Loren’s collection page by page. However long it takes into the future, I will pass the content to you whenever I find something interesting.

Enjoy!

I hope that by understanding how “Buboo’s Bookcase” came to be, you will fully appreciate how the database is part of Loren’s legacy. 

I am honored and thrilled to make his collection available to the world. 

He wanted you to have this information. So, with his love for you, I now make it public and pass it on. 

All the best,

Russell Anderson, aka “Little Boo”