Thursday, February 25, 2021

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.

            On Thursday, 5 October 1989, the Seventies Quorum meeting was very interesting. Mostly, it was an opportunity to hear testimonies and goodbye speeches from Elders W. Grant Bangerter, Paul H. Dunn, Royden G. Derrick, and Rex C. Reeve. These men were all being made emeritus members of the Seventy.

 

***

            On Sunday, the last day of 1989, we held a special zone meeting with the leaders of the mission. During this two-hour meeting, we were able to aid and assist them with the problems they were having. We found great leadership among these marvelous, young missionaries. After lunch, we went with President Page (of one of the stakes) and his counselors and Bishop O)'Grady to visit with Maurice Wade and some of his family. Maurice had been excommunicated from the Church, in part because he felt that he was the "one mighty and strong." He loved the Church and sustained the leaders, but was mixed up in what he thought was a very special calling for him. He has one legal wife and then two or three additional wives, which he calls "sisters." They are all apostates who, for the most part, live the gospel as good as anyone in the Church. They wanted to attend Church meetings, but for the prior two or three years had been denied the privilege because when they would disrupt the classes by unusual questions. They were, however, invited to attend stake conferences. I found the Wades to be marvelous people in almost every way. Brother Wade was a very straight-laced, dedicated man. However, he was an adulterer with four or five wives and a large number of beautiful, young children. I had been appointed by President Monson to work with these people, and the long visit I had with them in the afternoon was well worthwhile. I have kept in touch with this family over the years. Maurice has now passed away.

 

***

            I also had the sad opportunity to interview a member of the Church who had embezzled $110,000 from the school. I asked President Hinckley what the Church would have me do with this case, and he told me I was the President of the Pacific Area and I had to make the decision of what to do with this member. I publicly announced to the faculty of the school that the Church would not press for criminal charges against this brother. This decision was made partly because of his wife and two children who were approaching missionary age. We helped him obtain a job in another school, and he promised to begin making restitution. This was a difficult challenge for all of us. He was excommunicated from the Church, but I saw nothing to be accomplished by sending him to prison for 10 or 15 years.

 

***

            On November 17, 1989, President Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder James E. Faust and their wives arrived in Sydney, Australia. President and Sister Hinckley stayed with Marva and me in our little condo in Sydney, Australia.

            I was quite interested in President Hinckley' s first announcement to me. He seemed to be all smiles and was truly happy when he told me about the last thing he had done before leaving his office in Salt Lake City: He had signed an official letter that abolished ward budgets and other financial assignments with the exception of tithing and fast offerings. He then prophesied that tithing and fast offerings would increase tremendously and that the Saints would be greatly blessed because of this new policy change. For more than a half century, the Brethren have had a strong desire to relieve most of the financial burdens from the Saints and have been hoping for this day to arrive. President Hinckley participated time and time again over the years in raising money for welfare farms, chapels, seminary buildings, etc.; and signing the letter was a very happy and momentous event for him.

 

***

            On 26 June, I had another challenge as I needed to call a stake president who had excommunicated one of his counselors. I felt his decision had been wrong, and after speaking with him, I convinced him to change the verdict from excommunication to disfellowshipment, which would be best for everyone concerned. The stake president thanked me and said he was happy and felt good about this change. Sometimes we are too inclined toward excommunication.

 

***

            My first week home, on Monday morning, October l, 1990, I met with Elder Richard G. Scott at 9:00 a.m. The following week, we were in meetings in connection with general conference; we had one meeting after the other. We received great training and fascinating information from the Quorum of the Twelve and the Presidency of the Seventy. The week after the conference consisted of more meetings and getting used to a new assignment.

            On 12 October, I was assigned to my office in the Temple Department where I was to become one of the Assistant Executive Directors. I soon discovered that there were many new and interesting things going on in the department, but I did not have the pressure, or volume of work that I had when I was assigned to the Missionary Department.

            I also enjoyed working with Elder George I. Cannon and Elder Francis M. Gibbons in the North America Southwest Area Presidency. In our first meeting together on Friday the 12th, we met with El­ der M. Russell Ballard, who was our first contact with the Quorum of the Twelve.

 

***

            Two days later, all of the General Authorities were in the temple. President Benson was able to come for a while. President Hinckley called on me to talk and bear my testimony. With his approval, I spoke about Matthew Cowley and his last days of life after he realized he was not going to live very long. I shared Elder Cowley's testimony that life is eternal and that he knew he would soon pass away. I discovered that most of the Brethren had never heard about his last few days and were interested. That evening on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building, the 1'emple Department had their Christmas Party. President Gordon B. Hinckley was the speaker.

 

***

            On 18 March 1990, in the Tahiti Mission Home, I dreamed that I was sitting at a table with President Gordon B. Hinckley and his son and having a leisurely visit. They were sitting against the wall, and I was in an aisle.

            As we visited, I looked to the left and saw Matthew Cowley walking toward me. He was wearing a dark suit and looked exactly the same as he always did, although he seemed a little taller.

            He came right up to me and I stood immediately. He didn't say anything, but he had a slight smile on his face and gestured me to Hongi (rub noses), which we did. I remember distinctly touching his nose, and our foreheads touched in an unrushed Maori gesture of love.

Then he sat next to the Hinckleys and me and joined in our conversation. President Hinckley asked him a question, and the two of them got up and went into a nearby room and closed the door.

            When President Cowley first passed away, I had many ordinary dreams about him, but the dream in the temple in 1986 was entirely different, as was this one. I have never tried to explain this dream.

 

***

            On the 27th of December, President Thomas S. Monson came into my office and we talked for over an hour—just old bishop stories and the Pacific. Tom is great when he shifts gears and relaxes. It was good to be back with him and just be able to talk. He asked very little about our experiences in the Pacific, which surprised me, but I discovered that the Brethren do not give us a chance to report on our overseas assignments, they just expect us to do good work.

 

***

            Our Area Presidency met on Wednesday each week. Elder George I. Cannon was full of energy and smiles and was good to work with. Elder Francis Gibbons had an entirely different personality and was quite reserved but level-headed. I found myself agreeing with Elder Cannon all the time, but with Elder Gibbons quite frequently disagreeing. It was good to have a presidency who could talk to each other and disagree if need be.

 

***

            I was up at 3:00 a.m. so Elder George I. Cannon and I could fly to Fayetteville, Arkansas. We interviewed priesthood leaders for three or four hours and decided to divide the Fort Smith Arkansas Stake and create the Roberts Arkansas Stake. We also discontinued the Muskogee Oklahoma Stake, part of which became the Roberts Stake. We called a new stake presidency for the Fort Smith Stake, as well as for the Roberts Stake. A splendid young man by the name of David Bednar, who was a professor at the University of Arkansas, was called to be the stake president of the Rogers Stake. Since the time he was made a stake president, he has served as a regional representative and has been called as an Area Authority Seventy. He is now the president of BYU­Idaho (formerly Ricks College). Elder Bednar was a great choice and has a tremendously good future ahead of him in the Church. [Editorial Note: Brother Bednar is has now been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for many years.]

 

***

            On the first Thursday of November, we had an exceptionally wonderful meeting in the temple. President Hinckley, President Monson, three Members of the Twelve, and four Members of the Seventy bore their testimonies. Afterwards, I had the privilege of speaking to the wives of the General Authorities who were assembled in their monthly luncheon. It is a very frightening and dangerous experience to talk to the wives because you never know what they will hear you say and go home and tell their husbands.

 

***

            On Tuesday, 20 November, Elder L. Tom Perry bought me lunch, and we had a meeting during lunch. He was very complimentary and said, "I like your style and the way you do things." This was a nice compliment, and I enjoyed working with this splendid Apostle.

 

***

            I flew to Joplin, Missouri, with Elder Boyd K. Packer to attend a regional conference. Elder Packer was very kind and talkative. His wife was not able to travel so I did not take Marva. We had lunch with three stake presidencies who were from Joplin and Springfield in Missouri and from Rogers, Arkansas. Elder Packer and I both spoke three times in the Saturday afternoon meeting. He had me talk, and then he spoke. We kept that up until I had told them pretty well all I knew. On Sunday morning, Elder Packer and I went to the civic auditorium in downtown Joplin, Missouri, to hold the general session. I asked Elder Packer who was going to speak, and he said, "Me and you." However, after I spoke, he called seven members to speak from out of the audience. After the conference was over, we had dinner with President and Sister Bednar and then flew home.

 

***

            While attending a stake conference in southern Texas I was introduced to a fine-looking black man. He was thrilled to meet a General Authority, and I was delighted to meet him. I said to him: "The Brethren tell me you used to play basket­ ball." He admitted that he once did. He told me that he was one of the original members of the Harlem Globe Trotters and that for a period of time he was recognized as the greatest basketball player in the world. I was very happy to learn that he and his wife were preparing to visit the Salt Lake Temple.

            While presiding for a few short months in 1991 over the Corpus Christi Mission, I spent one Sunday morning in meetings with the Saints in a little branch in Texas. In this group was a man in his sixties. In visiting with him I discovered that he had been a member of the Church only a few short years, was active, and had been to the temple. He told me he was one of the original actors from "Our Gang Comedy" series. At my request, he told me he was the one that had been known as, The Little Rich Boy. He told me quite a bit about the experiences these young boys had many years ago in this very famous group of young movie actors.

The Church is filled with all kinds of wonderful people, many who have been famous in their day.

 

***

            The last time I was invited to a temple meeting with the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and all other General Authorities, was on October 19, 1992. It was a very special occasion. I was pleased to see Elder Helvecio Martins from Brazil, assigned to pass the sacrament. This impressed upon me the universality of the brotherhood of the gospel.

            I think this was the largest group of General Authorities ever assembled in that room, at least up then. I figure there were 101 in all. Elders Douglas J. Martin, John R. Lasater, and Glenn L. Pace were absent. President Hinckley, President Monson, Elder Scott, and Elder Wirthlin all spoke and gave powerful testimonies. Of the Seventies, Elders Marion D.Hanks, Robert L. Backman, George R. Hill, Lynn A. Sorensen, Douglas H. Smith, and I were all called on to bear our testimonies.

            These monthly temple meetings are not intended to be used for business. They are for partaking of the sacrament, testimony bearing, and participating in a prayer circle. In the September temple meeting it was interesting to note that the four men assigned to take care of the sacrament were from four different continents.

            The meetings in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple were always very special and are one of the things I miss the most since being released as a General Authority.

 

***

            Some years ago while traveling with Elder LeGrand Richards, he told me an interesting short story. When he was a young teenage boy, his cousin, Stephen L. Richards, came out to Tooele to work on the farm with LeGrand and his father, George F. Richards. The three of them were working in a hay field. At midday, they crawled under the hay rack to eat lunch in the shade. In reflecting back on that occasion Elder Richards said that the three of them had no idea who they really were or what they someday would become. Of the three, George F. was called to be an Apostle and he served for many years as President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Years later Stephen L. was called to be an Apostle and he became a First Counselor in the Presidency of the Church. LeGrand became the Presiding Bish­ op and then served for many years as one of the twelve Apos­ tles. Back on that day in Tooele, as they sat in the shade of the hayrack, the Lord knew that each of them would one day become a prophet, seer, and revelator, but they didn't know it then nor did any other person.

            In a like manner, on October 5, 1939 President Matthew Cowley, our mission president spent the day with some missionaries, including Robert L. Simpson and myself. That evening

we attended a Gold and Green Ball in Gisbome, New Zealand. It was a delightful time, and the three of us, with other missionaries, enjoyed the evening. I remember that President Cowley, Brother Simpson and I were standing together and talking. A few years later, President Cowley became a General Authority and for a number of years presided as the President of the Pacific Area of the Church. The years passed and Robert L. Simpson became a General Authority. He too served as President of the Pacific Area. The most exciting and complimentary assignment for me as a General Authority was to also preside over the Pacific Area. Years ago none of us could dream that one day all three of us would preside over the people in the countries and islands of the Pacific, but the Lord knew.

 

            [Editorial Note: Those interested can watch Elder LeGrand Richards’ apostolic acceptance speech at the April 1952 general conference, by copying and pasting the following link into their browser: https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets?id=cef0b370-172d-4199-8203-00609da22995&crate=0&index=0 ]

 

***

            Temple Meeting: This morning, Thursday, June 2, 1988, I had a lovely, wonderful experience. All the general authorities who were in the city assembled in the temple in the room on the fourth floor. President Benson presided and conducted the meeting. He called on Brother Packer and Brother Wirthlin to bear their testimonies; then on Brother Pinnock, Pinegar, Cuthbert, and Rex Reeve. They all did beautifully well. Brother Monson spoke, and then President Hinckley. The members of the Twelve and the First Presidency all spoke about the lovely experience earlier this morning when President Benson set President Howard W. Hunter apart as president of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. President Benson was the concluding speaker and told of his love for Brother Hunter and the fact that he had felt close to the Lord while blessing him this morning. President Benson said he rejoices in these meetings. He said, "The Lord loves you brethren. I know he does."

            We had a short break and reassembled to have the sacrament. Brother Paramore and Brother Brewerton blessed the bread and the water, and Brother Paul Dunn and Victor Brown assisted in passing the sacrament to all of us. We then assembled in the prayer circle. President Hinckley read off the names of those who were to be remembered, and I had the great honor of praying at the altar.

            This was the first time in many months, perhaps even a year, that President Benson has dressed so that he could be in the prayer circle. I had the opportunity to [stand next to him] and then offer the prayer. I kept it very short, particularly because of the President. I felt it to be a great honor and privilege to be in this particular situation. Today was a great spiritual experience for all of us, and particularly for me.

 

***

            Since being released, I think I have missed the association with the Brethren the most. I especially missed the monthly temple meeting, which stands above everything else. The great part was that we were honored by the people, and priesthood leaders everywhere we went were willing to receive instructions and help and gave us a little love and kindness. I do not ever remember having a difficult problem with a single priesthood leader in a mission, temple, stake, or ward. Fortunately, I had been schooled over many years of traveling with the General Authorities. I did everything in my power to bless the lives of people. I am eternally grateful for the privilege of serving. Altogether, I think we did a lot of good. . . .

            During my time as a General Authority, I learned that General Authorities receive great respect from the people of the Church. The big challenge for every General Authority, and particularly for me, was to school myself and prepare myself to be somewhat equal to the calling that had been given by the Presidency of the Church. I also learned that not everything is perfect in the Lord's Church. There are many problems, difficulties, some degree of disobedience, a lot of misunderstanding. But, altogether, I learned that the Church is true and that no people on earth have greater leadership than the Latter-day Saints.

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