In 1928, President Howard W. Hunter accepted an invitation from a member of his dance band, Hunter's Croonaders, to visit Southern California. He planned to stay for two weeks, then return to Boise.
Instead, the stay lasted 33 years, during which time he worked at a variety of jobs, met his wife-to-be, got married, became established in the legal profession and provided valuable church service. His parents and sister followed him to Southern California a short time later.His stay in Southern California also left its mark through a Sunday School class; his meeting Clara May Jeffs, whom he married in 1931; and awareness of the law of tithing.
One turning point in his thirst for gospel knowledge, he said, occurred in a young adult Sunday School class in the Adams Ward. Peter A. Clayton was the teacher.
"He had a wealth of knowledge and the ability to inspire young people," he wrote in his journal. "I studied the lessons, read the outside assignments he gave us, and participated in speaking on assigned subjects. I suddenly became aware of the real meaning of some of the gospel principles, an understanding of the degrees of glory and the requirements for celestial exaltation as Brother Clayton taught and instructed us. I think of this period of my life as the time the truths of the gospel commenced to unfold. I always had a testimony of the gospel, but suddenly I commenced to under-stand."
In 1931, he and then-fiance Clara Jeffs (also known as Claire) went to his bishop to ask for a temple recommend but was stunned when the bishop said he couldn't understand how he could support a wife on his small income.
"When I told him how much I was making," he wrote, "he said the reason for his doubt was based on the amount of tithing I had paid. Suddenly, I became conscious of the seriousness of not being a full tithe payer.
"When I told him I would henceforth be a full tithe payer, he continued the interview and relieved my anxiety by filling out and signing a recommendation form."
President and Sister Hunter took to heart the advice given to them by Elder Richard R. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve before he performed their marriage ceremony: "Stay out of debt," he said. "Live within your means. . . . Save your money until you can pay cash."
In January 1934, he began work with the title department of the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, where he was introduced to a host of legal matters. These experiences fueled his desire to obtain a law degree.
First, though, he had to take the required classes for entrance into the program at Southwestern University, at the time California's largest law school and which offered an evening program. He worked during the day, attended school at night and graduated third in his class.
The security of President Hunter's position with the flood district enabled the Hunters to move into a home in Pasadena while he was still going to law school. After passing the bar examination, he was admitted to practice law before the California Supreme Court and other California courts in January 1940, admitted to the bar of the U.S. District Court in Southern California the next month and in April was admitted to the bar of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
His church responsibilities grew. When he learned that his ward, the Alhambra ward, was to be divided, President Hunter also learned he was to be sustained as bishop of the new ward, El Sereno. He immediately received a challenge from the stake presidency - find a place for the ward to meet and organize and staff the ward "and get going." He and his counselors were able to sublet some meeting rooms leased by a local Ma-son-ic lodge.
One of the bishopric's goals was to find property and raise funds for a new building, but World War II put a halt to construction. Funds were raised anyway because the bishopric knew that the time would come when membership growth would require more adequate space for a full worship and activity program.
Because so few men were available to fill leadership positions, President Hunter also served as Scout-master for two years.
He also left his mark as bishop, because, even decades later, many who had been members of the El Sereno Ward would come to President Hunter and testify that he had truly blessed and guided them as bishop.
By 1950, the Pasadena Stake's membership had passed 9,000, and on Feb. 26, 1950, Elders Stephen L Richards and Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve created the East Los Angeles Stake out of the Pasadena Stake. President Hunter was called as the new president of the Pasadena Stake and immediately started evaluating and reorganizing.
Two of the six wards were divided and many new leaders sustained. In discussions with his counselors on increasing spirituality, the decision was made to emphasize family home evening. The stake leaders recommended Monday evening be set aside as the time, President Hunter said, "when no other events were held which would conflict with that sacred evening." In 1965, Monday night was designated as family home evening churchwide.
Rapid church growth in Southern California meant numerous fund raising for projects such as purchasing a horse ranch, building the Los Angeles Temple and the Pasadena Stake Center, and meeting ward and stake needs.
President Hunter also served as chairman of the regional council of stake presidents, where the responsibilities ranged from welfare holdings to temple construction to music and dance festivals and leadership conferences.
He also was chairman of a committee that introduced what was the beginning of early morning seminary in the church. During his stewardship, in 1954, the first Mutual conference was held outside Salt Lake City.
He also counseled his associates on church policies and procedures, saying, for instance, that hymn numbers were not page numbers and that church "jobs" were really callings.
Richard S. Summerhays, who served in the stake presidency and later succeeded President Hunter as stake president, summarized the feelings of many stake members: "He praised people for their accomplishments and let them rise to high expectations. We were proud of the stake because he was proud of us."