Took it Upon Him to Preach the Word of God

 My sister texted me last night about midnight as I was lying down to go to sleep with the news that had just broken that President Russell M. Nelson had passed away. What sad news! It is hard to imagine general conference without him—there had never been one in my lifetime as far as I am aware that he hasn’t spoken at. As I think about all that has happened in the Church during the past seven and a half years, it is amazing to consider all that he has accomplished and changes he has put into effect. Perhaps most importantly, he has pointed the members of the Church to the temple and done all he could to bring more temples to the people, announcing exactly 200 temples during his tenure as president. As I think about the impact he had on me, I think what he did in his first general conference tops the list: he announced the Layton Utah Temple. That has since been constructed, dedicated, and I have probably now spent more time in that temple than any other I’ve ever been in. It has significantly changed our family in the amount of time we are able to spend in the house of the Lord and we have been blessed for it just as he promised: “Building and maintaining temples may not change your life, but spending your time in the temple surely will.”     

                As I have pondered the passing of President Nelson, I have been reminded of the story of his call by President Spencer W. Kimball. In January 1983 Elder LeGrand Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles passed away. But President Kimball’s health was very poor and he was in no condition to call another apostle. The next two general conferences came and went without a replacement. Then a year to the day after Elder Richards passed away, another apostle (Elder Mark E. Petersen) also passed away. One article relates, “Now there were two vacancies in the Twelve, and, if anything, the situation was more critical. President Kimball’s health had deteriorated even further, and his mind was less dependable. To make matters worse, those privy to the situation knew President Kimball was in no condition to receive the revelation to extend such calls. One of those persons was Dr. Nelson. The week before the April 1984 general conference, Russell’s surgical nurse, Jan Curtis, mentioned how excited she was for the upcoming conference because two new apostles would be called. Russell tried to gently tell her that it wasn’t going to happen. ‘I was his doctor, and I knew it wasn’t feasible, that President Kimball was not well or coherent enough to do it. I explained to her that calling an apostle is the prerogative of the president of the Church and that President Kimball was simply in no condition to do that.’” The article relates how President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the only healthy member of the First Presidency, had told President Kimball’s caregivers to call him any time day or night if President Kimball ever regained a clear mind. It relates, “Then, at about 2:30 a.m. on the Wednesday morning prior to the April 1984 general conference, the phone rang at President Hinckley’s home. President Kimball was alert and wanted to talk to him. President Hinckley rushed downtown to President Kimball’s suite in the Hotel Utah, where the issue of vacancies in the Twelve was raised. President Kimball said simply, ‘Call Nelson and Oaks to the Quorum of the Twelve, in that order.’” And so, in that general conference that weekend, Elder Russell M. Nelson and Elder Dallin H. Oaks were called together. That final phrase was of President Kimball’s direction was what put Elder Nelson first in line and ultimately why he became the prophet in 2018 instead of President Oaks. And now presumably President Oaks will be the next prophet after President Nelson, making this miraculous call from a man who had not been coherent for months even more impressive. The Lord knew who He wanted, and now having called President Nelson home, President Oaks has been prepared to take the mantle of prophet of the Savior’s Church.

                This story to me highlights the truth of Alma’s powerful statement to Helaman: “Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:6-7). President Kimball’s ability to speak clearly in that moment and receive a revelation from the Lord was perhaps a small thing from one perspective, but because of it these two men for over forty years have had an enormous impact on the Lord’s Church and the whole world through their service. At that time in 1984 we could say of them both like it was said of Nephi and Lehi of old: “He yielded up [temporal affairs], and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days” (Helaman 5:4). For President Nelson, “all the remainder of his days” meant over 41 years of service, and for President Oaks we hope that it continues even longer. I give thanks for their service to the Lord and His children and as was said of Moroni surely it could be said of them both: “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men” (Alma 48:17).