Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at 11:30 p.m. Monday at the age of 91.
A press release from the LDS Church said Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at
his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully of causes incident to age. His
oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the family had
been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers
Wirthlin, died two years ago.
The release said Elder Wirthlin had continued to work at his office right up
until the Thanksgiving holiday. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Elder Wirthlin's last major public appearance was at the church's most recent
semiannual general conference in October, when he shared an address many church
members have since used in lessons and as a guide in dealing with personal
challenges. Titled "Come What May and Love It," he spoke of a challenge after
his football team lost a tough game.
As he complained about the game to his mother, he received advice that he
said had stayed with him all his life. "Joseph," she said, "come what may and
love it." She had taught them to "trust in themselves and each other, not blame
others for their misfortunes and give their best effort in everything they
attempted."
"When we fell down, she expected us to pick ourselves up and get going again,"
he said. "In spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem
to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser and
happier as a result."
He also spoke of death, saying "life will continue on the other side of the
veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take us from
the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father."
He reminded Latter-day Saints that top church leaders are not immune from
challenges that members face. "There may be some who think that general
authorities rarely experience pain, suffering or distress. If only that were
true.The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief or sadness."
Elder Wirthlin lost his wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, on Aug. 16, 2006,
when she died at age 87 of causes incident to age. He spoke of his heartache at
the following general conference, but expressed confidence in eternal life and
Jesus Christ's power over death.
He was born June 11, 1917, in Salt Lake City to Joseph L. and Madeline Bitner
Wirthlin. From his own account, he was about 7 years old when his lifelong
commitment to the gospel took root.
"I was in a fast and testimony meeting when a humble brother bore his
testimony. He spoke with such fervency that it electrified me to the point that
I partook of his great spirit as to the truthfulness of the gospel."
He recalled his childhood fondly. "We had many rabbits and chickens in our back
yard. It was my job to help care for them."
And he was always doing odd jobs in his father's business. "In my early
teens, I was a janitor. In high school, I got up early to deliver to accounts
that required early service."
Doing his chores at home, working in his father's business, participating in
athletics, and attending school left him little idle time.
When dating his future wife, Elisa Rogers, he would go to work in the morning
before school started, attend classes from 8 a.m. to noon, and go back to work.
"When we had dates, it would be 9 or 10 p.m. before he could even come
over," Sister Wirthlin once recalled.
He didn't even have time to pick out a romantic setting to propose to her.
"We became engaged at the pump, the center of everything at the university
campus. That's where we would meet after his classes and before he left for
work."
His father served as Presiding Bishop of the church, and Elder Wirthlin's
dream as a young man was to be a missionary in Germany, just as his father had
been. That dream came true when he served in the German-Austrian and the
Swiss-Austrian missions from 1937 to 1939.
An accomplished athlete, he played football for the University of Utah, and
graduated with a degree in business administration, and received an honorary
doctorate degree from Brigham Young University in 2001. He and his wife were
married May 26, 1941, in the Salt Lake Temple and are the parents of eight
children.
He believed in a daily plan of each day's activities. "I make a schedule of
what I am going to do and stick to it. I have learned that half an hour of
planning will save several hours during the day."
His daughter, Jane, recalled waking "at five in the morning and hearing him
at the typewriter," typing his schedule for the day. And Elder Wirthlin used
time wisely even when eating meals with his family.
"He wasn't around much before or after dinner," his daughter, Elisabeth, said.
"But we always had gospel discussions at the dinner table. I felt like he really
tutored us in the church."
Elder Wirthlin loved the scriptures and would make time to read them. His
daughter, Elizabeth, said, "Many times I would wake up and go downstairs, and see
him studying the scriptures at 4:30 in the morning."
Before his call to full-time church service, he was a prominent business
leader in Salt Lake City. He was also president of a trade association in Utah.
Elder Wirthlin served just under 17 years in the bishopric of the Bonneville
Ward, then seven years as a counselor to Russell M. Nelson in the Bonneville
Stake presidency in Salt Lake City. Elder Nelson spoke once of Elder Wirthlin's
faith and willingness to work.
"There was hardly ever a Sunday night when I didn't get a call from him asking
if there was any more he could do for me," Elder Nelson said.
He also served for about four years as first counselor to Elder Nelson in the
Sunday School general presidency before being called as an assistant to the
Twelve in April 1975.
When he was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on Oct. 4,
1986, Elder Wirthlin said, "I've loved every assignment I've ever had in the
kingdom. And in that service, every day seemed like Sunday, because it was in
the service of the Lord."
"There is old proverb," Elder Wirthlin was wont to say, "which
says, 'An inch of gold will not buy an inch of time.' We must put a sufficiently
high value on time. It is valuable and should not be wasted."
He was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy on Oct. 1, 1976, and to the
Presidency of the Seventy on Aug. 28, 1986. Elder Wirthlin was sustained a
member of the Quorum of the Twelve Oct. 4, 1986, and ordained an apostle on Oct.
9, 1986, at age 69.
He often spoke of his faith in Jesus Christ and encouraged others to develop
their faith as well.
"My life really is anchored to the testimony that God lives, that Jesus is
the Christ," he said.
In another conference, he said, "I wish I could engrave on every heart what I so
keenly know and feel. I bear unwavering testimony that our Heavenly Father and
His divine Son, Jesus Christ, rule and reign, and that we must all understand
that the gospel is everlasting."
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com