Called by George Albert Smith

After Pres. Grant had been in poor health in his final years, Smith brought a jolt of energy. He had his own health problems with lupus, but he was able to stay visible for the church. He kept Grant's same counselors and only had the chance to call three Apostles before his own death at age 81.

Called to be Apostles by George Albert Smith:
Matthew Cowley, Henry D. Moyle, Delbert L.Stapley

MATTHEW COWLEY
(August 2, 1897 - December 13, 1953)

Apostle - October 11, 1945

Matthew's father Matthias F. Cowley was called to be an apostle the year he was born. When matthew was eight, his father resigned from the Q12 over polygamy, and even after his father's priesthood was suspended, Matthew stayed strong in the church.

He served a mission in New Zealand and helped with corrections to the Maori translation of the Book of Mormon. He later became president of the New Zealand mission. He and his wife stayed in NZ for seven years, during all of World War II. The very next General Conference he was called to be an Apostle. He spent most of his time presiding over the Pacific Islands and was key in getting a temple built in New Zealand.

He was a popular writer and speaker, but died suddenly at age 56.

HENRY D. MOYLE
(April 22, 1889 - September 18, 1963)

Apostle - April 10, 1947
Second Counselor - June 12, 1959
First Counselor - October 12, 1961

Moyle was a WWI vet, a cattle rancher, and a prominent lawyer in Utah until he was called to be an Apostle after the death of Charles Callis.

Moyle eventually joined the First Presidency under David O. McKay. He helped purchase and grow a large cattle ranch in Florida for the church, where the beef could be used as part of the Church Welfare Program.

He was one who taught missionaries to never "coast on their spiritual laurels" from their mission service, but they should strive to grow and serve throughout their lives. He died of heart disease at age 74.


DELBERT L. STAPLEY
(December 11, 1896 - August 19, 1978)

Apostle - October 5, 1950

Stapley was a proficient high-school and college baseball player, but he turned down a chance to jump to the MLB to serve his mission, and due to the fact he'd have to work on so many Sabbaths. He was serving as a stake president when he was called to be an Apostle.

Stapley was said to be the Apostle in 1964 to urge Michigan governor George Romney to back down on his position on civil rights, which just made Romney campaign more for them. Stapley was in the hospital when he gave his endorsement to Pres. Kimball's 1978 revelation on the priesthood, and he died less than three months later.

Called by Joseph F. Smith

Joseph F. Smith followed in the tradition of Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff in naming one or more of his sons to be Apostles. In fact, the majority of Apostles he called were related to him or other previous Apostles. Three of those he called went on to become prophet.

Called to be Apostles by Joseph F. Smith:
Hyrum M. Smith, George Albert Smith,
Charles W. Penrose, Orson F. Whitney,
George F. Richards, David O. McKay,
Anthony W. Ivins, Joseph Fielding Smith,
James E. Talmage, Stephen L. Richards,
Richard R. Lyman

JOHN R. WINDER
(December 11, 1821 - March 27, 1910)

Second Counselor - October 17, 1901

Winder was born and raised in England. He heard about the church while working at a shoe store. He and his wife were baptized and moved to Utah in 1853. he was able to set up a franchise of successful tanneries. He was renowned as a successful businessman in every profession he tried. He was a business mentor to Heber J. Grant.

During the polygamy raids of the 1880's, members would put all their money under Winder's name so it couldn't be confiscated. He had a reputation of being trustworthy and financially sound. He was also involved with many charities.

Winder was called into the First Presidency but he was never ordained an Apostle. Having him in the First Presidency may have aided members in trusting the church with their tithing money, knowing that it would be put to good use.

HYRUM M. SMITH
(March 21, 1872 - January 23, 1918)

Apostle - October 24, 1901

Hyrum was the eldest son of Joseph F. Smith, and the first Apostle called when Joseph F. took over as prophet. He then served as president of the European mission from 1913-1916, but activities for that mission had to be suspended due to World War I.

A few months before his father died, Hyrum died from a ruptured appendix at the young age of 45. His grandson M. Russell Ballard is one of the current members of the Quorum of the Twelve. (In fact, both of M. Russell Ballard's grandfathers were Apostles).

GEORGE ALBERT SMITH
(April 4, 1870 - April 4, 1951)

Apostle - October 8, 1903
President of Q12 - June 21, 1943
Prophet/President - May 21, 1945

George was the son of Apostle John Henry Smith, grandson of Apostle George A. Smith, therefore a second cousin once removed to Joseph F. Smith. John Henry Smith was still an Apostle when George was called to join him in the Q12.

George graduated from what would later be known as BYU and also got a degree from the future University of Utah. He was active in Republican politics and campaigned for William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

He married Lucy Woodruff, granddaughter of Wilford, in 1892. They both then served in the Southern states mission. He made his living as a salesman at ZCMI and became an Apostle at age 33.

He became the 8th President of the LDS church right as World War II was winding down. He made it a priority to send aid to the wore-torn areas in Europe. He emphasized missionary work and spreading the Gospel.

He was plagued by health problems throughout his life. He received permanent damage to his vision from the sun's glare while he worked as a surveyor. He had bouts of depression, and he was diagnosed with lupus. He ultimately died from the effects of lupus on his 81st birthday.

CHARLES W. PENROSE
(February 4, 1832 - May 16, 1925)

Apostle - July 7, 1904
Second Counselor (JFS, HJG) - December 7, 1911
First Counselor - March 10, 1921

Penrose was another Englishman, born and raised in London. He only had one wife, Lucetta, but they had 15 children together. He joined the church when he was 18 and wound serving a six-year mission, preaching all over the United Kingdom. In 1861, he and his family migrated to Utah.

He served in the Utah legislature, and he introduced the bill in 1880 that allowed women to serve in any public office. He was a talented writer and wrote the lyrics for a few of the hymns, including "God of Our Fathers."  He was a BYU professor of theology.

He was called to be an Apostle after the sudden death of Abraham Woodruff, and seven years later, he became part of Joseph F. Smith's First Presidency. When Smith died, the new prophet Heber J. Grant retained him as 2nd counselor, and he made him 1st counselor when Anthon H. Lund died in 1921.

ORSON F. WHITNEY
(July 1, 1855 - May 16, 1931)

Apostle - April 9, 1906

Orson was the son of Horace Whitney and Helen Kimball. Helen was the daughter of Heber C. Kimball, and she became a plural wife to Joseph Smith. After Joseph died, the 16-year-old widow was soon courted by Horace.

Orson made his living as a reporter and editor for the Deseret News, and he later taught English and Theology at the college in Logan that eventually become Utah State University. He served as assistant Church Historian until he was called to be an Apostle.

After Matthias F. Cowley and John W. Taylor resigned from the Q12 over polygamy issues, and Marriner W. Merrill died, there were three vacancies in the Quroum. Orson, George F. Richards, and David O. McKay were called the same day, but Orson had seniority.

Orson was a writer and a poet. He wrote a biography of his grandfather Heber C. Kimball and wrote the lyrics for tsome of the hymns including "Savior Redeemer of My Soul." He died from the flu at age 75.

GEORGE F. RICHARDS
(February 23, 1861 - August 8, 1950)

Apostle - April 9, 1906
President of Q12 - May 21, 1945

George was the son of Apostle Franklin D. Richards, great-nephew to Apostle Willard Richards, and he'd later be the father of Apostle LeGrand Richards. There are three instances of three generations being in the Quroum of the Twelve - George A., John Henry, and George Albert Smith; Amasa, Francis M., and Richard Lyman; and Franklin D., George F., and LeGrand Richards.

George worked as a railway clerk, farmer and school board member. He did a term in the Utah Legislature in 1899.

He was one of the three called to be an Apostle at the April 1906 General Conference. While an Apostle, he also served as the Salt Lake City Temple president. After Heber J. Grant became prophet, and he instructed the church to remove all references to vengeance and retaliation from church sermons, hymns and litertaure, Richards was the key in implementing the changes in the temple ceremony.

Richards was known as a practical man in his sermons, using every-day events to illustrate larger Gospel principles. He became President of the Quorum of the Twelve when Pres. Grant died and George Albert Smith was made prophet, but he died the year before Smith.

DAVID O. McKAY
(September 8, 1873 - January 18, 1970)

Apostle - April 9, 1906
Second Counselor (HJG, GS) - October 11, 1934
President of Q12 - August 8, 1950
Prophet/President - April 9, 1951

McKay was only 32 when he was ordained an Apostle, and at almost 64 years, he was an Apostle or First Presidency member longer than anyone in LDS Church history.

McKay was the son of a Scottish immigrant and Welsh immigrant, born in Utah. He worked as a principal at LDS Weber Stake Academy and taught religion and literature classes. He was the youngest of the three Apostles called at the April 1906 General Conference. He toured the world and dedicated a few countries (including China) for missionary work.

In 1934, after the death Anthony W, Ivins, McKay was called into the First Presidency. He served in that capacity under Presidents Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith.

McKay became prophet in 1951 and is largely credited for bring the LDS church into the modern era. He oversaw the Priesthood correlation program to ensure the structure in every ward was the same worldwide. He would grant national interviews and build coalitions with other religious groups. He was consulted on 1954's The Ten Commandments. He coined the phrase "Every member a missionary." In his 19 years, the church grew from 1.1 to 2.9 million members. He was an outspoken opponent of communism.

ANTHONY W. IVINS
(September 16, 1852 - September 23, 1934)

Apostle - October 6, 1907
Second Counselor - March 10, 1921
First Counselor - May 25, 1925

I'm noticing a lot of relatives being called in this era. Ivins was a first cousin to fellow Apostle Heber J. Grant when Pres. Smith called him. He was also the son-in-law of Erastus Snow.

He served his mission in Mexico and then became active in the Democratic party. He served exploratory missions to help colonize areas in Arizona and New Mexico. He was the first stake president of Juarez, Mexico.

He was 55 when he was called to be an Apostle and later served in Grant's First Presidency. He died at age 82.

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH
(July 19, 1876 - July 2, 1972)

Apostle - April 7, 1910
President of Q12 - April 9, 1951
Counselor - October 29, 1965
Prophet/president - January 23, 1970

Joseph F. Smith called two of his sons to be Apostles, the second being Joseph Fielding Smith. JFS was the first son by his father's second wife, and due to the polygamy prosecutions in the 1880's, JFS wouldn't see his parents for years at a time and was raised mostly by his sisters and his father's other wives. JFS and Hyrum M. Smith were the first set of brothers to serve in the Q12 since Luke & Lyman Johnson.

JFS married Emyla Shurtliff in 1898, and they had two daughters, but Emyla died from complications with her third pregnancy in 1908. A few months later he married Ethel Reynolds, and at age 33, he was called to be an Apostle. He had nine more children with Ethel, but she died from a cerebral hemorrage in 1937. A few months later, he married Jessie Evans, who died the year before he died.

JFS became President of the Q12 when McKay became prophet, and he served in that capacity the next 19 years. He was also made an additional counselor in the First Presidency when McKay and his counselors were getting older and suffering health problems and couldn't fully perform all of their duties.

JFS was the oldest person in church history to become prophet, at age 93. He was able to serve for 2 1/2 years before his own death.

JAMES E. TALMAGE
(September 21, 1862 - July 27, 1933)

Apostle - December 8, 1911

Talmage was born in England, making him the third Englishman that Joseph F. Smith called into the Q12 or First Presidency. Talmage was baptized at age 10, and he and his family moved to Utah in 1877.

Talmage was an academic and specialized in chemistry, geology and received the first diploma from BYU's science department. He wound up getting a PhD from llinois Wesleyan. He was a science professor at BYU and went on to be president of the future University of Utah. He wrote several religious books, including The Articles of Faith (1899) and Jesus the Christ (1915).

He brought a real cerebral, academic approach to the Gospel when called to be an Apostle at age 49. He died at only age 70.

STEPHEN L. RICHARDS
(June 18, 1879 - May 19, 1959)

Apostle - January 18, 1917
First Counselor - April 9, 1951

Stephen was the grandson of Willard Richards, who'd served in Brigham Young's First Presidency, but Willard died before Stephen was born. More relatives in the Q12. Stephen also married George A. Smith's granddaughter Irene Smith Merrill.

Stephen worked as a law professor at the University of Utah when he was called to be an Apostle, and when Pres. McKay became prophet, Stephen was his first counselor. He died at age 79.

RICHARD R. LYMAN
(November 23, 1870 - December 31, 1963)

Apostle - April 7, 1918
Excommunicated - November 12, 1943
Rebaptized - 1954

After Pres. Smith son Hyrum died, he called Richard Lyman, son of Apostle Francis Lyman. His grandmother was George A. Smith's sister. Pres. Smith himself ordained Richard an elder when he was 21, and Pres. Smith married Richard to hs wife Amy Brown. Richard was the last Apostle Pres. Smith called before he died. Amy Brown Lyman would eventually become President of the General Relief Society.

Around 1925, he entered a secret polygamous relationship with Anne Hegsted. They were able to keep their relationship secret until 1943. Richard didn't feel like he'd done anything wrong, but he was excommunicated for adultery. Not even his wife was aware of the relationship. He's the last Apostle to ever get excommunicated from the LDS church. Sis. Lyman eventually asked to be released from her calling.

He was rebaptized in 1954 but his full Priesthood blessings were only restored posthumously.

General Conference Highlights: April 1947

Next in my highlights of random General Conferences through the decades, we go to a period of prosperity for the church, and the world. George Albert Smith was son of Apostle John Henry Smith, grandson of Apostle George A. Smith, first cousin to Joseph Smith. This also marked the 100th anniversary of the Saints trekking to Utah.

APRIL 1947

First Presidency
-GEORGE ALBERT SMITH -77
-J. Reuben Clark Jr. -76
-DAVID O. McKAY -73

Quorum of the 12 Apostles
-George F. Richards -74
-JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH -71
-Stephen L. Richards -68
-John A. Widtsoe -75
-Joseph F. Merrill -78
-Albert E. Bowen -71
-HAROLD B. LEE -48
-SPENCER W. KIMBALL -52
-EZRA TAFT BENSON -47
-Mark E. Petersen -46
-Matthew Cowley -49
-Henry D. Moyle -57

Pres. GEORGE ALBERT SMITH - "Opening Remarks"

It is a beautiful picture to see this great tabernacle filled, the seats occupied and people standing, at the beginning of the one hundred seventeenth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church was organized under great difficulties and unpleasantness to those who became its members. People who accepted the gospel did so- because they knew it was the Lord's will, and the result was that they were able to endure the persecutions and difficulties and sorrows that followed them until they finally were driven from the East and came here to these desert lands to make their homes with the wild animals, and at that time, the still more savage red men...

When our people abandoned their comfortable homes in the East because of force, also in different parts of the world, and began to trek their way across the plains to this then-wilderness, they had to have faith to believe that they could enjoy in this deseret land the blessings that people enjoy elsewhere. The Lord never fails to fulfil his promise, and I stand here today a witness to the fact that in this promised land, are some of the happiest people that can be found on the earth, and the advantages and opportunities here are unsurpassed. Not only do we have the blessings that our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us as individuals, but people also come from all parts of the world to see what has been accomplished.

GS - "Aside"

There is one item that I should like to read to you in the quiet of the Conference before we start this morning. Sister Julia Caroline Beal Burr is celebrating her eighty-ninth year. She has 243 descendants, 225 of them living. These include 13 children, 75 grandchildren, 152 great-grandchildren, and 3 great great-grandchildren. Her people are visiting with her today at Orem. I simply mention this that the strangers who are here and those who come from California and other places will know what we do here in Utah. (Laughter)  We will now listen to the Taberncle Choir sing, "Let the Mountains Shout for Joy."

GS - "Parting Thoughts"

The Lord says that he is a slothful servant who waits to be commanded in all things. (See D. & C. 58: 26.) When we see all around us the need for living as well as teaching the gospel, it is our duty to set the example. We ought not to be waiting for other people to take the initiative; it should be our responsibility to go forward. Everything that is praiseworthy, everything in civil life, or in religious life that is necessary to make the people happy will come to us as a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord. This is his Church; we are his people if we are faithful. I want to say that this Church will continue to grow and expand, and instead of approximately a million souls as we have now, if we shall do our duty, the membership of this Church will continue to increase, and the good men and women, those who are seeking God, will get the inspiration and accept the truth as some of your forebears did...

This is God's work. This is the Church of the Lamb of God. He has offered us eternal membership in it, and O my brethren and sisters, I plead with everyone of you to prize that membership and retain it by reason of righteousness, and that there will never come a time when you will find yourselves in the dark and groping your way, uncertain as to what it all means. I would like to say to you before closing that this work is a joyous work. It will bring peace and happiness that nothing else can bring if we will do our part. We will be loved by our neighbors and our friends, many of them not associated with us, if they see our virtues, and if we will develop those virtues as the Lord intends we should...

There are so many things that we might talk about if there were time. I want to say to you that every blessing we enjoy is the result of keeping the commandments of God. Every blessing we desire we must obtain on those same terms. So today I witness to you that we have a Heavenly Father — I know that he lives. I know that Jesus was the Christ, his Beloved Son, who gave his mortal life that we might have eternal life. He came to this country twice, once to the Nephites, and later in the days of Joseph Smith. The Father and the Son came in that latter instance to see that the way was opened for the dissemination of his gospel. He has called us to bear the priesthood and carry the gospel message as missionaries to the various parts of the world, and in return for that he has promised us eternal life in his celestial kingdom. Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith gave their lives as a testimony to the world of the truthfulness of this work.

(Below is a sample of what Pres. Smith's speaking style was like.)

DAVID O. McKAY - 'Industry of the Pioneers"

Among the outstanding virtues of the pioneers were industry and thrift. They condemned idleness and wastefulness as not being in accordance with the rules of heaven. Said President Young:

My experience has taught me, and it has become a principle with me, that it is never any benefit to give out and out to men or women, money, food, clothing, or anything else if they are able-bodied, and can work and earn what they need when there is anything on earth for them to do. This is my principle, and I try to act upon it...

If any are in the habit of taking the name of God in vain, cease doing so today, tomorrow, and throughout the coming week, and so continue, and you will soon gain strength to overcome the habit entirely; you will gain power over your words.

So taught the father of our country, George Washington, who said to his soldiers on one occasion:

The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing in fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little hope of the blessings of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, profanity is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH - "Suffering of the Early Saints"

We are living one hundred years from the time the Pioneers commenced their journey and came into this valley. It is only natural that the brethren should call attention to the Pioneers and the great work they performed. I have visited most of the scenes of early Church history. I have gone over a good part of the trail which they followed when they came to these valleys. I have reflected a good deal upon these scenes, the travels, the hardships, the travails, and suffering and persecutions of these early days, and as I have stood in these hallowed spots and have traversed some of the territory which they passed over, my heart has been touched, but I have realized that it is beyond my power to understand and perhaps to feel all that these good faithful souls endured, and all for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ...

Now I have been thinking, as I have thought many times in the past, of this great legacy which is ours, the great blessings which have come to us, built upon the foundation of persecution, death, hardships, men and women laying down their lives that we might dwell in this land in peace and safety; and how do we feel today about it? Do we keep the Sabbath day holy? Do we pray? Are we grateful in our souls for all that has been done for us by these sturdy people who loved the truth and came here that they might worship God according to the dictates of their consciences? How do we feel? When I see reports of conditions in this state and surrounding states where Latter-day Saints dwell, the amount of liquor that is consumed and tobacco that is consumed, and tea and coffee and other things destructive of health, and contrary to the commandments of the Lord, when I see the people violating the Sabbath day and committing all other kinds of sins contrary to that which they have been taught, I wonder if the Lord is pleased with us...

If we don't keep the Sabbath day holy, he may still be our God, but we may not be his people, for all the people of the earth are his, but we are a peculiar people, and by that we mean that we are different and should be different from the rest of the world because we are not of the world. We are in it. We are not of it.

HAROLD B. LEE - "Celestial Living"

We are our own judges of the place we shall have in the eternal world. Here and now in mortality, each one of us is having the opportunity of choosing the kind of laws we elect to obey. We are now living and obeying celestial laws that will make us candidates for celestial glory, or we are living terrestrial laws that will make us candidates for either terrestrial glory, or telestial law. The place we shall occupy in the eternal worlds will be determined by the obedience we yield to the laws of these various kingdoms during the time we have here in mortality upon the earth.

The Lord characterized himself as, "the light of the world." And in that testimony he declared further that those who would follow him would not walk in darkness but should have the light of life in the celestial world in the presence of the Lord.

SPENCER W. KIMBALL - "Lehi's Family"

I do not know when I began to love the children of Lehi. It may have come to me at birth, because those years preceding and after I was born, were spent by my father on missions among the Indians in Indian territory. He was president of the mission. This love may have come in those first years of my childhood, when my father used to sing the Indian chants to us children and show us souvenirs from and pictures of his Indian friends. It may have come from my patriarchal blessing which was given to me by Patriarch Samuel Claridge, when I was nine years of age. One line of the blessing reads:

You will preach the gospel to many people, but more especially to the Lamanites, for the Lord will bless you with the gift of language and power to portray before that people, the gospel in great plainness. You will see them organized and be prepared to stand as the bulwark "round this people."...

When I was called to the mission field in 1914, my assignment was to the Swiss-German Mission, and then the war broke out and prevented my going there, and I was sent to the Central States Mission. I knew there were no Indians in Switzerland and Germany. I knew also there were Indians in the Central States Mission, but in all my two years' mission, I had not seen an Indian. I wondered, "Can I have failed, or did the patriarch err," and now, forty-two years after the promise, President George Albert Smith called me to this mission, and my blessing was fulfilled.

I love those downtrodden and deprived people. Brother Cowley and I spent some time on the Hawaiian Islands last summer, and those good people found their way into my heart. We have about a half-million children of Lehi in the islands of the sea, and about sixty million of them in North and South America, about a third of them perhaps, being pure-blood Indians, and about two-thirds are mixtures, but they have the blood of Jacob in their veins.

Someone said:

If my pen might have the gift of tears I would write a book and call it "The Indian," and I would make the whole world weep.

I hope I may help to make the whole world weep for the children of Lehi. Can one refrain from tears as he contemplates the fall of these people who have been brought down from culture and achievement to illiteracy and degradation; from kings and emperors, to slavery and serfdom; from landowners of vast continents, to indigent wards of governments and peons — from sons of God with a knowledge of God, to rude savages, victims of superstition, and from builders of temples to dwellers in dirt hogans...

The conquerors came and robbed and despoiled and destroyed. The battle of America, a four-hundred-year struggle began with the discovery of America and ended not until the owners were dispossessed of nearly everything they had owned. Cortez with a handful of soldiers came into Mexico and through deceit and misrepresentation was able to conquer thirty million people. Preying upon their superstitions and beliefs in the return of the Fair God, he gained access to their beautiful city, took their lives, carried off their treasures and desecrated their homes and temples...

The world should weep also at the treatment of the real Americans in our own states. As the colonists came from Europe and settled along the Eastern seaboard, the great "push" continued. Mile by mile we crowded them back. When the Indians resisted our encroachments, we called them "murderous redskins" and continued our relentless aggression. When they killed us "whites," we called it a massacre, but when we took their lives, we termed it a necessary riddance of a menace. We were fighting for their lands and rivers and forests and minerals, but they were fighting for their rights, their homeland, their families, their very lives.

I would not justify any evil that the Indians ever did, but can we not see that they were on the defensive, fighting for their liberty, for independence and to perpetuate their rights to the promised land to which they had title from the Creator?...

How I wish you could go with me through the Indian reservations and particularly Navajo Land and see the poverty, want, and wretchedness, and realize again that these are sons and daughters of God; that their miserable state is the result, not only of their centuries of wars and sins and godlessness, but is also attributable to us, their conquerors, who placed them on reservations with such limited resources and facilities, to starve and die of malnutrition and unsanitary conditions, while we become fat in the prosperity from the assets we took from them. Think of these things, my people, and then weep for the Indian, and with your tears, pray; then work for him.

EZRA TAFT BENSON - "The Welfare Program in Europe"

Now, just a word about the welfare program. I bring to you, my brothers and sisters, the deep gratitude and thanksgiving of the Saints in Europe. The spirit of the welfare program was there long before we arrived. The Saints in various countries had sent help to their less fortunate brothers and sisters in other nations. Welfare gardens had been planted. We found them among the bombed-out buildings. We ran on to many instances where following bombings, branches had joined together and pooled all their remaining supplies, food, clothing, and household articles, and turned them over to the priesthood for distribution according to need.

It was a great joy when the welfare supplies came through. It was also a great surprise to the military authorities and others to learn with what dispatch the supplies arrived from Zion, after arrangements were made, and the cable sent back to Zion, March 14, 1946, to start shipments. They could hardly believe that there was a Church in existence with a hundred storehouses well stocked, ready to dispatch supplies to the suffering people in Europe...

A large part of the world is cold, hungry, and desperate. Millions without the gospel are without hope. Europe today is in the midst of one of the greatest ideological conflicts in recorded human history — whether government exists for the individual or the individual for the government. We feel it only vaguely here, but it is real. To me the threat of Godless communism is a stern reality, not only in Europe but also in blessed America.

The outlook for the world is not encouraging, but we know what the answer is. There is only one answer, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peace must come from the heart. Men's hearts must change, and righteousness must rule in the lives of the people of the world before peace can come. May God hasten the day.

General Conference Highlights: April 1942

Back to my highlights of random General Conferences through the decades. This was the first General Conference after Pearl Harbor, and the US had officially entered World War II.

APRIL 1942

First Presidency
HEBER J. GRANT -85
-J. Reuben Clark Jr. -71
-DAVID O. McKAY -69

Quorum of the 12 Apostles
-Rudger Clawson -85
-GEORGE ALBERT SMITH -72
-George F. Richards -69
-JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH -66
-Stephen L. Richards -63
-Richard R. Lyman -71
-John A. Widtsoe -70
-Joseph F. Merrill -73
-Charles A. Callis -76
-Albert E. Bowen -66
-Sylvester Q. Cannon -64
-HAROLD B. LEE -43

Pres. HEBER J. GRANT - "Opening Address"

I was intimately acquainted with Brigham Young from the time I was a little child until his death, and I came into the Quorum of the Twelve when I was a young man not quite twenty-six years of age. I was intimate of course with all the men who succeeded Brigham Young as president of the Church, and I want to bear witness to every one of you that all of those men, starting with John Taylor and coming down to President Joseph F. Smith, I know as I know that I live that they were inspired, wonderful men, that they had no ambition of any kind or description but to lead the Latter-day Saints in the paths of righteousness, to set examples worthy of imitation in all respects. They were in very deed men of God.

Perhaps the one man of all others who took the least interest in big business affairs of any kind was Brother Woodruff. He had been a farmer and a raiser of flowers and of fruits, and a man who I doubt ever engaged in any kind of business that amounted to $20,000 a year. But in the providences of the Lord, perhaps he was the greatest converter of men we have ever had in the Church. Through the inspiration of the living God, in opposition to the best judgment of some of the leading men of the Church, he insisted on building a sugar factory and establishing an institution for the benefit of the farmers. Notwithstanding myself and others during the panic of 1891 recommended the contract to build the factory be cancelled which could have been done by the Church forfeiting the $50,000 that it had already paid toward its erection, Brother Woodruff said: "We will build it. The farmers are entitled to that factory to get some of the products of the soil." In the providences of the Lord we did build it and many of us ruined ourselves by borrowing money to build it. We have been vindicated today.

GEORGE ALBERT SMITH - "Perilous Times"

These are perilous times, brethren, I have no doubt that many of you here have seen your sons depart to join the armed forces of the United States and have mourned that it was necessary for them to go. When they return, if they have kept the commandments of God, they will have witnessed His power and His strength in their preservation. This is not the Church of Joseph Smith or Brigham Young. It is not the Church of any man. This is the Church of Jesus Christ, our Lord. He has given rules to govern it and made them so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err in following His teachings; yet there have been those in the Church who have failed, who have fallen by the wayside, who have come under the power of the adversary and surrendered to evil. But those who have kept the commandments of God, those who have stood in the places to which they have been called, those who have been the leaders in Israel from the beginning, who have kept the faith, have been magnified, honored, and sustained by our Heavenly Father until the time came for them to return to their Maker...

This is a day of proving ourselves, a day of trial. This is a day when men's hearts are failing them with fear. When the multitudes in the world are asking themselves what the end will be. A few inspired men know what the end will be. The Lord has told us what would occur, in these books that are upon this stand, this wonderful library that I hold in my hand. He has given us the information that we need to adjust our lives and to prepare ourselves that no matter what may transpire we will be on the Lord's side of the line.

DAVID O. McKAY - "The Current War"

In the face of the tragic condition among mankind, honest thinking men and women ask how is it possible to reconcile the teachings of Jesus with the participation of the Church in armed conflict.

War is basically selfish. Its roots feed in the soil of envy, hatred, desire for domination. Its fruit, therefore, is always bitter. They who cultivate and propagate it spread death and destruction, and are enemies of the human race.

War originates in the hearts of men who seek to despoil, to conquer, or to destroy other individuals or groups of individuals. Self exaltation is a motivating factor; force, the means of attainment. War is rebellious action against moral order.

The present war had its beginning in militarism, a false philosophy which believes that "war is a biological necessity for the purification and progress of nations." It proclaims that Might determines Right, and that only the strongest nations should survive and rule. It says, "the grandeur of history lies in the perpetual conflict of nations, and it is simply foolish to desire the suppression of their rivalry."...

Even though we sense the hellish origin of war, even though we feel confident that war will never end war, yet under existing conditions we find ourselves as a body committed to combat this evil thing. With other loyal citizens we serve our country as bearers of arms, rather than to stand aloof to enjoy a freedom for which others have fought and died.

One purpose of emphasizing this theme is to give encouragement to young men now engaged in armed conflict and to reassure them that they are fighting for an eternal principle fundamental to the peace and progress of mankind.

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH - "Redeem the Dead"

Because of the greatness of the responsibility of it, brethren, the blessing is correspondingly great, if we discharge ourselves faithfully of the responsibility; and I can say the consequences of entire neglect of this responsibility are correspondingly great.

You know how it was with the rich man, according to the parable by the Savior, who neglected to feed the poor man Lazarus. When the rich man died, he was consigned to hell and torment. I want to tell you we are rich in the things of eternal life; we know the way, we have received the saving ordinances. Our dead kindred are there in abject poverty. If we do not minister unto their needs, what may we hope for when we come to judgment before the Lord? I have said we will have to account to him. We have accepted this responsibility, and we will have to account to our kindred dead. I would have you and myself so to live and to labor and discharge ourselves of these responsibilities that there will be no disappointment on our part, and no disappointment on the part of our kindred dead. May the Lord help us to this end...

Now the question often arises, Is this earth upon which we dwell going to be one-third celestialized, one-third terrestrialized, one-third telestialized? Are all the inhabitants of the earth going to dwell upon the earth? No. This earth is going to become a celestial body and is going to be a fit abode for celestial beings only; the others will have to go somewhere else, where they belong. This earth will be reserved for those who are entitled to exaltation, and they are the meek, spoken of by our Savior, who shall inherit the earth. When the Lord said the meek shall inherit the earth, He had reference to those who are willing to keep the commandments of the Lord in righteousness and thus receive exaltation.

HAROLD B. LEE - "Patriotism"

We have been asked today to be patriotic. This Church, as has been read by President McKay, has a record of accomplishment that is a delight to all of us, and a testimony to the world of the patriotism of this people. We have been sending our boys into the army, and will continue to do so. We will buy war bonds and stamps. We will pay inordinate taxes, for the carrying on of the work for the buying of planes and munitions of war. We will produce and conserve foodstuffs, that there may be sufficient of the necessities to carry on, as we have been requested by our government.

But beyond all that, the Latter-day Saints have a responsibility, that may be better understood when we recall the prophecy of Joseph Smith who declared that "the time would come when (the destiny and) the Constitution of these United States would hang as it were by a thread, and that this people, the sons of Zion, would rise up and save it from threatened destruction." (J. of D., Vol. 7:15)

T want to ask you to consider the meaning of that prophecy, in the light of the declaration of the prophets of the Book of Mormon times, who declared that this land was a choice land above all other lands, and would be free from bondage and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of this land, even our Savior, Jesus Christ. (Ether 2:12)

This is a people whom the Lord has chosen to preach the gospel of righteousness. We talk of security in this day, and yet we fail to understand that here on this Temple Block we have standing the holy temple wherein we may find the symbols by which power might be generated that will save this nation from destruction. Therein may be found the fulness of the blessings of the Priesthood. Yesterday morning, as we assembled and heard the broadcast from that place, broadcasting to the world a message, it to me was significant of the prophecy that from this place "the law shall go forth to the world, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." The spires on the eastern towers of the temple are to represent the presidency of the Melchizedek Priesthood; the spires to the west, the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood; the gilded figure of the angel Moroni symbolizes the preaching of the gospel to the world. The gospel must be preached as a witness under the direction of the holy Priesthood: "Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." (Rev. 14:7) Therein lies the responsibility of this Church in sanctifying this people and this nation, that they might be spared the judgments that otherwise might come upon them, were it not for the preaching of the humble elders of this Church.

Albert E. Bowen - "True Christianity"

Now the answer to the question put to Peter is of the all-or-none order. The Christianity which built the western civilization was built upon Peter's answer. It was that Christianity which brought democracy into the world because it was the first to bring to man the revelation of human personality, and that is the rock upon which the democracy in which we profess ... a faith . . . rests and alone can rest. It was that Christianity upon which the declared principles of our civil order rest, and there is no other resting place for them. A belief in democracy without a belief in that Christianity is no better than a code deprived of its creed or a flower cut from its parent stem: it must ultimately wither and die. When it dies freedom dies, even if democratic forms survive. Hitler rules today under the "forms" of the Weimar constitution and Stalin under the "forms" of a constitution as "democratic" sounding as anyone could wish! The same thing could happen here under our own "forms" if we, too, should lose faith in the soul that alone can give them life...

I believe it is a safe generalization that despotism is always at enmity with the Christian religion. They rest upon inherently and irreconcilably antagonistic conceptions about man, his worth and dignity and destiny and place in the order of things; the one debases him, the other exalts; the one denies God, the other acknowledges His supreme power and bows before His majesty. The teaching of the Christian religion irritates the despot because it is a constant denial of his assumed supremacy and a rebuke to his tyrannies. Hence the despot always seeks to put religion down. The rise of Hitler in Germany heralded assaults upon the church. His Minister of Religion said, "Adolph Hitler is the true Holy Ghost," and the Minister of Culture declared, "We must proclaim a German Christ, not a lamb of God." In Russia the line was the same, "What is worrying us is not that Christianity is dying in Russia, but that it is still surviving," said the Commissioner of Justice. "The natural transition," said another, "is to bring about the death of all religion."

General Conference Highlights: April 1930

Back to my highlights of random General Conferences through the decades. This was the first General Conference after the stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. This also marked the 100th anniversary of the formation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

APRIL 1930

First Presidency
HEBER J. GRANT -73
-Anthony W. Ivins -77
-Charles W. Nibley -81

Quorum of the 12 Apostles
-Rudger Clawson -73
-Reed Smoot -68
-GEORGE ALBERT SMITH -60
-George F. Richards -69
-Orson F. Whitney -75
-DAVID O. McKAY -57
-JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH -54
-James E. Talmage -68
-Stephen L. Richards -51
-Richard R. Lyman -59
-Melvin J. Ballard -57
-John A. Widtsoe -58

Trivia: Of the 107 men who've been ordained as Apostles in the latter days, 15 were excommunicated, 2 resigned, 1 was dropped from the Quorum after the congregation refused to sustain him, 2 were removed and then re-added with lost seniority, 4 were killed, and 16 became Presidents of the Church.

Pres. HEBER J. GRANT - "Opening Address"

The Redeemer himself declared, notwithstanding the apparent failure of his mission and ministry as it applied to the generation to which he brought the message of salvation, that at a period of time then in the remote future, a period designated as the latter-days, the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, he would again reveal himself, would re-establish his Church upon earth, and come to reign in triumph and majesty over his people.

In humility, and with full consciousness of the responsibility involved, we bear witness to the people of the world that with the appearance of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in the early spring of 1820, the greatest gospel dispensation of all time was ushered in, a dispensation of light, radiating from the presence of God, illuminating the minds of men, increasing intelligence and knowledge, which is the glory of God, and by the application of which the past one hundred years have been made the Miracle Century of the ages.

The increase of scientific knowledge, invention, industrial development; the harnessing of the forces of the universe and adapting them to the comfort and convenience of man, have reached a degree of perfection not dreamed of by people who lived when the past century was ushered in...

By the application of scientific methods, which have been revealed during the past century, the profession of medicine and surgery has brought to the people of the world relief from the most dreaded diseases, which devastated communities and at times threatened the very existence of mankind.

Undoubtedly the greatest miracle of the century is the accomplishment by which the human voice, with the personality of the speaker, may be indefinitely preserved and reproduced with every detail of originality.

Whether uttered in the frozen arctics, or from the jungles of the tropics, without visible means of conduct, the human voice instantly circles the earth, thus overcoming the hitherto insurmountable barrier of both time and space...

The opening of a new gospel dispensation was not a thing of chance. Jesus Christ, through his messenger, had declared to John while he was upon the isle of Patmos, that an angel would come flying through the midst of the heavens, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to them that dwell upon the earth, calling them back to the worship of God who is the Maker of the heavens and the earth, the sea and the fountains of water. The Redeemer himself had declared that before the time of his glorious appearance, to assume his rightful place among his people, the Gospel of his kingdom should be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, before the coming of the end.

As the time of the restoration of the Gospel was clearly indicated, so was the gathering place of those who would accept the truth definitely declared. The prophet Isaiah had said that it should come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house would be established in the top of the mountains, and be exalted above the hills, and that people from all nations would flow unto it. Many people, he declared, would go and say: "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob." For what purpose? That they might be taught the way of the Lord, and learn to walk in his paths...

Refrain from evil; do that which is good. Visit the sick, comfort those who are in sorrow, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, care for the widow and the fatherless. Observe the laws of health which the Lord has revealed, and keep yourselves unspotted from the sins of the world. Pay your tithes and offerings, and the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings until there shall not be room to contain them.

HJG - "Bless the Mothers"

One of the most earnest prayers of my heart all my life has been that I should be able to live to be worthy of such a father and such a mother as were given to me...

I pray for the blessings of the Lord upon the officers and the General Board of the Relief Society. My heart goes out in gratitude and thanksgiving to God for the organization, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, of that wonderful society...

It is our sisters who carry the burden of the work. We talk about the missionary work of the Elders who go forth to proclaim the Gospel; we talk about the great pioneer work of the early settlers of this country, but I wish to say here that it is the mothers at home who are making the sacrifice for the boys to go into the mission field. It is the mothers who stand the hardships far more than the men. Men are engaged in many activities, and without the devotion and absolute testimony of the living God in the hearts of our mothers this Church would die. May God bless the mothers of men, is my most humble prayer; and I do bless them in the name of God our Heavenly Father and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer...

I pray for the blessings of the Lord to be abundantly with those who have been sent forth to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to lift up their voices in testimony that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, and to bear witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the true and the living God, inspired of God to restore again to the earth the plan of life and salvation.

Oh, how my heart goes out to those young men and young women who go forth with this testimony burning in their very hearts for the spread of the truth. And I thank God that they have brought honest souls from all over the wide world, from every denomination under heaven, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May God bless them and bless their parents who are making sacrifices to send them forth to proclaim the Gospel. Oh, how I do rejoice that I do not know of one son or one daughter in all Israel who has gone out into the world to proclaim the truth, that has come home to announce the truth is in some other land. Thank God for the truth and the power that goes with these young men and young women as they go forth to proclaim the restoration again to the earth of the plan of life and salvation, the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you and I have received...

I rejoice in all that we have heard here today. I rejoice and I am sure that the Prophet and the Patriarch of the living God who sealed their testimonies with their blood will rejoice at this wonderful gathering. Oh, how I did pray, how I did supplicate the Lord, that Joseph F. Smith, the son of the martyred Patriarch, might live to occupy today this position that I am occupying. Never until the night before he passed away did I give up the hope that he should have that privilege. But it has fallen to my lot without my seeking to occupy this position. By that spirit of blessing which he possessed, I bless you one and all, and all Israel, and every honest-hearted soul in all the world who is trying to do good, and I do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, and by the authority of the living God, the priesthood that I hold. Amen.

HJG - "A Marvelous Work"

As I look upon this audience I am impressed with the wonderful fulfilment of the prediction of Joseph Smith which was delivered on the west side of the Mississippi river and recorded in the journal of Brother Anson Call:

"I prophesy that the saints will continue to suffer much affliction, and will be driven to the Rocky Mountains; many will apostatize, others will be put to death by our persecutors, or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease; and some will live to go and assist in making settlements, and build cities, and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains."

What a mighty people we are! As I look upon this audience today and think of the wonderful audiences that we had at all our meetings yesterday, and when I think of the seven hundred thousand people who are now members of the Church, I rejoice in the fulfilment of this prediction by Joseph Smith.

HJG - "The Inspired Constitution"

As I said before, we are fundamentally in favor of prohibition and we feel that any man who violates the prohibition law, the Eighteenth Amendment, as long as it is in force, is encouraging anarchy and shows a lack of that patriotism which should be in the mind and heart of every true American.

I wish to say to our friends who are visiting with us here today, that the Latter-day Saints believe and have taught from the beginning that God raised up the men who wrote the Constitution of this country; that it was an inspired document, and that the Lord fought on the side of our revolutionary fathers.

GEORGE ALBERT SMITH - "The Restoration"

A hundred years ago yesterday the Lord commenced this work. He had predicted it himself, and had called attention to the fact that it was to be a marvelous work. No man could have fulfilled that prediction, but our Heavenly Father has fulfilled his promise; and in the year 1830, on the 6th day of April, he organized his Church. I would like to emphasize that, as I believe with all my heart that it is his Church, not the Church of Joseph Smith or of Brigham Young or of John Taylor or of Wilford Woodruff or of Lorenzo Snow or of Joseph F. Smith or of Heber J. Grant; for while these men have been his faithful representatives upon earth, it is not their Church, but it is the Church of the Redeemer of mankind...

This is our Father's work. In a hundred years we have made great progress. Do you realize that in a hundred years after the organization of the Church with six members there has been more than one hundred thousand people converted for each one of those six whose names appear as the organizers of the Church? One hundred thousand for each one in a hundred years. Multiply that by our present membership, and if we should do as well in the next hundred years, considering our present membership, do you know what it would mean? Not three fourths of a million people, but more than seventy billion people would be members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Can you not see how a marvelous work and a wonder has been going forward ? Can you not see how we as individuals have only contributed our mite, but the multitude has united, and the word of the Lord has been disseminated among the children of men; not in a militant way, but in kindness and in love, with a desire to bless all mankind.

DAVID O. McKAY - "World Leaders"

That government is best which has as its aim the administration of justice, social well-being and the promotion of prosperity among its members.

Considered politically the world is upset at the present time in its opinion as to the best form of government. We are just witnessing the downfall of monarchies. Rising from these monarchial ruins have come democracy as exemplified chiefly in Great Britain in her dominions and in the United States; the dictatorship of the proleteriat as in Soviet Russia; and the Fascist regime in Italy, with Mussolini as chief dictator. It is apparent that men are seeking for a better form of government than most nations now have. Will they find it in the government by a dictator or in the government by the people, or in a combination of both?...

Truly, from the standpoint of enhancing efficiency and progress, the Church of Christ has that form of government which the nations today are seeking.

This is because it is patterned after that order which Christ himself established. I call your attention again to the fact that the Prophet Joseph stated on the 6th day of April, 1830, that the Church was organized after that order given in the New Testament. I read recently in a book published last year by Charles A. Ellwood, Ph.D., L.L.D., author of "The Social Destiny of Man," that "The religion of the future cannot be based upon historical Christianity, but must, in order to avoid misunderstanding, go back to the teachings of Christ, as recorded in the Gospels." Isn't it significant that a young man not twenty-five years of age, unacquainted with the social systems of his age, or of any age, should have realized and declared one hundred years ago just what this thinker realizes today!

Says the sociologist of 1930: "The religion of the future must go back to the teachings of Christ, as recorded in the Gospels."

Said Joseph Smith one hundred years ago : "The Church of Jesus Christ was organized in accordance with the order of the Church as recorded in the New Testament. And the practical and beneficent workings of the organization prove its divine authenticity."

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH - "Reaffirmation of Faith"

I believe in God the Father and in his Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. I believe, without any reservation, that Jesus Christ is the Son- of God and the Redeemer of the world. I believe that through the shedding of his blood he brought redemption to this earth and to all things upon its face, and, through obedience to the Gospel he has given unto all men the privilege of the remission of their sins; for he has suffered for all, that they might not suffer if they will repent. I believe that through obedience to the Gospel all who believe on his name and endure in faith to the end shall be saved in the celestial kingdom in the presence of the Father and the Son.

I believe it is the purpose of the Father to bring to pass the redemption of all men from death and from hell, except those who turn away from the light and the truth after having received it, thus becoming sons of perdition. I believe that our Father has prepared a place for every man according to his works and worthiness, but only through obedience to his laws in their fulness will men come back into the presence of the Father and the Son to receive an exaltation as sons and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

I believe sincerely and absolutely in the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have faith, yes, the knowledge, that he was called of God and is a prophet and that he stands at the head of this great Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. I believe he was chosen to this mission before the foundation of the world was laid, and that he filled it acceptably before the Lord, in diligence and faith, in the midst of constant persecution...

All my life I have prayed and hoped that the Lord would touch the hearts of the children of the Prophet Joseph Smith and bring them to repentance. I still pray that he may do so. No man would hold out the hand of fellowship more quickly than I would to welcome them into the fold of truth. But I cannot countenance their actions in opposition to this great work which the Lord established through the Prophet Joseph Smith. While I regret the fact that they stand aloof and in opposition to the fulness of the Gospel which that Prophet restored, yet I pray and hope that the time will speedily come when some of them, at least, will see the error of their ways, and come humbly seeking the favor of God, and membership in the Church. They who will not repent, but who persist in the opposition to the truth, may they be confounded; may that which they propose come to nought; may all their works fail and may they soon stand exposed in the full error of their ways before the world.

May the Lord bless the family of the Prophet Joseph Smith and bring them to repentance. May he bless the descendants of Hyrum Smith that they also may walk in the light of the everlasting Gospel. May they never falter nor turn from the path in which their father walked, and may they honor and uphold his good name. And so I pray for all who receive the Gospel, for we are all brothers and sisters. May the Lord guide and bless all who love the truth.