The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints embarked upon a new course in its history Monday night with the ordination of W. Grant McMurray as president.
McMurray, 48, is the first person to hold the office of president/prophet who is not a descendant of Joseph Smith Jr., church founder. He succeeds Wallace B. Smith, 66, who becomes the last of six Smith men who have led the 245,000-member church since its founding in 1830. Last September, Smith announced his intention to retire and designated McMurray as his successor."I only pray that I can embody a small measure of such devotion and love sufficient to honor the prophetic tradition of the Smith family and the leadership they have brought to our church over 166 years," McMurray said.
The ordination service, held in the world headquarters auditorium in Independence, was to be the high point of this week's world conference. It had an international flavor, with parts of it spoken in languages such as Tahitian, Spanish, German, Japanese and French/-Creole from some of the 36 countries where the church is established.
At McMurray's request, five ordaining ministers representing diversity in his religious experience and the life of the church laid hands on his head as he sat in a chair.
McMurray called the ordination, attended by nearly 6,000 people, "an incredibly humbling moment in my life."
Earlier in the day, the 2,800 delegates gave near-unanimous approval to Smith's "inspired document" that called for McMur-ray to be ordained "without delay" to lead the church. Smith, who has been president since 1978, will retire as president emeritus.
McMurray has been a counselor to the church president since 1992, and previous positions included world church secretary and assistant commissioner of history. His wife, Joyce McMurray, is a library media specialist in the Fort Osage School District, and the couple has two sons, Jeffrey and Brian.