Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #36 - Elder Rudd Experiences the gift of Interpretation of Tongues

(Compiled by Dennis B. Horne)

            In 1964, I received an assignment to attend one stake conference in Samoa, two in New Zealand, and two in Australia. During the first month of that trip, I traveled with J. Vernon Sharp, during the second month with Junius Jackson, both from the Genealogy Committee. I represented the Welfare and Missionary Committees.

            After arriving in Samoa, we visited with the people, then participated in the various sessions of conference. It was difficult to find anyone who spoke English with the exception of the stake president, Percy, who was very fluent in English and was a great help to us in talking with the Saints.

            I was greatly impressed with the Saints in Samoa and felt tremendously handicapped having to use an interpreter. During the first couple of meetings, I went very slowly so the interpreter could keep up. It was difficult at first, but everyone seemed to understand his interpretation. And by the final Sunday session, we were able to speak at a normal rate. In the Sunday afternoon session, Brother Fitisemanu interpreted. I had just begun, when I noticed that everybody could understand me. So Brother Fitisemanu stopped interpreting. Many people throughout the large congregation nodded their heads as a signal that they understood.

Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #35 - Some Highlights from Elder Glen L. Rudd’s Service as a General Authority

(Compiled by Dennis B. Horne)

            Elder Faust met with the Area Presidency and some of the office personnel the next day and announced that there were to be some changes in General Authorities and that the Brethren were creating a Second Quorum of Seventy. He also announced that Members of the First Quorum would be released at age 70 if they were still in the First Quorum. If they had a year or two to go in the Second Quorum, they were allowed to stay on. This applied very much to me because I was moved from the First Quorum to the Second Quorum, and even though I was almost 71, I was allowed to stay on until I completed at least five and a half years as a Seventy.

 

***

            On Saturday I received a phone call from Elder Doug Martin, telling me that the First Presidency had excommunicated George P. Lee for apostasy. George had been released from all of his responsibilities for some time. The Brethren felt that it was necessary to take further action. I know that this was a difficult thing for President Hinckley personally.

 

***

            General conference was enjoyable. I had no special duties. I was able to just go, smile, and enjoy what the Brethren did.

Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #34 - Elder Rudd’s Call as a General Authority (First Quorum of Seventy)

 (Compiled by Dennis B. Horne)

            On March 25, 1987, I received a phone call from President Thomas S. Monson while in the New Zealand Temple. After a few moments of greeting he said, "We need to get serious." He then notified me that President Ezra Taft Benson had authorized him to extend a call to me to become a member of the First Quorum of Seventy. Marva and I were in the office together when we received the call. President Monson spoke with Marva also. He gave us instructions to get tickets and fly home in time for the April conference.

            Six days later we were on our way home. When we left Honolulu we boarded a Boeing 747 and had seats in the first­class section. When we climbed the stairs into that area of the plane, we saw John R. Lasater and his wife and Douglas J. Martin and his wife, Wati. The six of us were the only ones in the first-class section. We all shook hands and smiled at the others. The six of us were on the same journey. No one dared to talk about why we were all headed to Salt Lake City. All of us had awkward smiles on our faces. Finally we began to talk and it wasn't long before we were quite certain of each other's assignment. Even though no one would say out loud why they were traveling to Salt Lake City.

            After being sustained and set apart I received an assignment to work in the North America West Area as a counselor to Elder Gene R. Cook. Elder Ted E. Brewerton was the First Counselor. I also was assigned to be in the Missionary Department where I worked with Elders J. Richard Clarke and Russell C. Taylor. That was the busiest of all the assignments I had. I worked every day and hardly took even a Monday off, unless it was necessary because of travel. This was indeed one of the busiest and most difficult years I spent as a General Authority.

Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #33 - Elder Rudd Serves as President of the New Zealand Temple

(Compiled by Dennis B. Horne)

            July 1984 started like every other month, but drastically changed on the 6th. I was a little slow getting to work that morning because I had a bad night and was in the shower when President Gordon B. Hinckley called. I dressed quickly and rushed to his office where he called me to be the president of the New Zealand Temple. I accepted the call and then went to my office in the Church Office Building to recover. After a few short minutes, I went home, talked with Marva, then went to the airport and flew to Lubbock, Texas for a welfare assignment.

 

***

            On the 14-16 of August, the First Presidency held a seminar for the new temple presidents. It started at 8:00 a.m. in the auditorium, and all General Authorities were invited. President Hinckley, Elder Howard W. Hunter, and Elder Grant Bangerter were the speakers. We were in meetings the rest of that first day on the 22nd floor and over in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a very spiritual day, and it was wonderful to hear the General Authorities speak and teach us. There were 13 new temple presidents altogether. I remember hearing President Hinckley saying, "I feel a little sorry for you brethren who are going to leave your loved ones and families and go away to the different temples. The only one I don't feel sorry for is the one who is going to New Zealand. His is a very special assignment." I did find out that most everybody would have liked to have the assignment at the New Zealand Temple.

Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #32 - Brother Rudd’s Adventures with Traffic Tickets

 (Compiled by Dennis B. Horne) 

            While presiding over the Florida Mission, 80 cars were assigned to our mission, which meant that 161 missionaries had a car all the time. The rule to be in by 10:00 p.m. was strongly enforced and, for the most part, obeyed.

            However, one night I received a call about midnight from a young, inexperienced elder who was greatly distressed. His companion had been locked up in jail. They had missed a stop sign in a little town in northern Florida and were stopped and given a ticket. The policeman had demanded fifty dollars at that time, which the missionaries did not have, so the driver was locked up in jail.

            I told the young elder to go right to the home of the sheriff and tell him he had just locked up an ordained minister of the gospel. I continued, "Tell the sheriff that his mission president in Orlando demands that the elder be released immediately, that we will have him in court at the proper time. You might even tell him that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is an active Latter-day Saint and a good friend of the mission president, and that the Church does not allow this to happen."

Apostles, Prophets, and God’s Former Priesthood Restriction

By Dennis B. Horne

“We do not expect the people of the world to understand such things, for they will always be quick to assign their own reasons or to discount the divine process of revelation.”

(President Spencer W. Kimball[1])

            The purpose of this piece is to substantiate the inspired genesis and continued correctness of the priesthood restriction on black male members (meaning African-Americans) until June of 1978. With the many confused or contrary voices of critics, activists, liberal academics and scholars, doubters, and dissenters now proclaiming the restriction was instituted by a prejudiced and political President Brigham Young, presentation of the abundant contrary evidence is both helpful and needful. Many lacking understanding have labelled the former restriction in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ as wrong and racist, and even call for the Church to issue a public apology (something that won’t happen). They suppose if they shout loud and long enough, or write enough articles and blogs, what they say will displace truth and become the main narrative.

            Because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church and Kingdom of God on earth, the truth is that the restriction was implemented by Him, and thereafter continuously maintained and sustained by Him, through His prophets, until He removed it by revelation in 1978. The following items reinforce and support this reality: 

Remarkable Experiences in the Life of Elder Glen L. Rudd #31 - Some of Elder Rudd’s Adventures as a Mission President

(Compiled by Dennis B. Horne)

            [Editorial Note: A couple of the below accounts are of miracles attendant to President Rudd’s mission service and priesthood administrations, though he writes them in a way that one might miss that fact unless reading carefully.]

            In the Florida Mission, we needed a new branch president in a small city in southern Georgia. My counselors spent most of their time working with the thirty-nine branches in the mission. They were familiar with the priesthood leaders and the good people who resided in those branches. I had also met many of them. I felt that a certain brother should be the new branch president, but my counselors objected. I said, "He is the best man there and would be a good branch president." My first counselor stated, "But he wasn't a full tithe payer last year." I responded, "I agree, we should not put in someone who doesn't pay a full tithing, but I would like to interview this man anyway. Until last year he always paid a full tithing. I think there must be some serious problem that we need to know about." Both of my counselors felt he definitely should not be called unless he was a full tithe payer. Every leader in every branch and in all of the four districts was a full tithe payer. In fact, we didn't even have anyone on our auxiliary boards who wasn't a full tithe payer. This was a most unusual situation and my counselors felt we would be making a mistake if we called the brother I felt we should call.

            As a result, we did not make the call. We waited a little while and the next time we were together, I brought it up again. I expressed my feeling that this brother should be the branch president. They still disagreed. So I said, "Why don't I at least interview him?"