Joseph B. Wirthlin
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bitner Wirthlin (June 11, 1917 – December 1, 2008) was an American
businessman, religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was sustained
to the Quorum on October 4, 1986, and ordained an apostle on October 9, 1986 by Thomas S. Monson
, following the death of Church President Spencer W. Kimball
. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wirthlin was accepted by the church membership as a prophet, seer, and revelator
.
, Wirthlin was the son of Joseph L. Wirthlin
, who was also an LDS Church general authority
, serving as Presiding Bishop from 1952 to 1961, and Madeline Bitner Wirthlin. He was a half-first cousin of late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
; the two cousins attended the same LDS Church congregation as children.
As a young man, Wirthlin earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America
. As a standout high school quarterback
, Wirthlin was offered a football scholarship at the University of Utah, but deferred it and served as a missionary
in Germany
, Austria
, and Switzerland
from 1936 to 1939, returning to Utah just before the outbreak of World War II
. Wirthlin played American football
as a running back
for the University of Utah
following his mission. Before his call as a general authority
, Wirthlin was a prominent business leader in Salt Lake City. He was also president of a trade association in Utah.
For over nine years (May 25, 1955 – June 7, 1964) Wirthlin was the bishop of the Bonneville Ward in Salt Lake City. The same day he was released as bishop he was called to serve in the stake high council, being set apart
by Joseph Fielding Smith
. On December 6, 1964, Wirthlin was set apart by LeGrand Richards
as second counselor to Russell M. Nelson
in the Salt Lake Bonneville Stake Presidency; Wirthlin was Nelson's counselor until Nelson's release in June 1971. Wirthlin's call to the Quorum of the Twelve came very shortly after his call to serve in the presidency of the seventy. Wirthlin became a general authority
of the church in 1975, when he was called to serve as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
. He was the last individual called as an Assistant to the Twelve before the position was discontinued in 1976. With the death of Hinckley in 2008, Wirthlin became the oldest living apostle.
Wirthlin married Elisa Young Rogers on May 26, 1941, in the Salt Lake Temple
. She died in August 2006 of causes incident to age.
On 1 December 2008, Wirthlin "had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age." He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
.
Shortly after his death, the University of Utah
announced that the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the Utah football program
, would be named in his honor. On January 2, 2009 when the Utes won the Sugar Bowl
all of the Utah players wore a commemorative sticker on their helmets with the initials JBW in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was sustained
Common consent
Common consent is a democratic principle established by the Latter Day Saint movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., who taught in 1830 that "all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith." As it is most frequently used by the Church of Jesus Christ of...
to the Quorum on October 4, 1986, and ordained an apostle on October 9, 1986 by Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
, following the death of Church President Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Wirthlin was accepted by the church membership as a prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator
Prophet, seer, and revelator is an ecclesiastical title used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is currently applied to the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles...
.
Biography
Born in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Wirthlin was the son of Joseph L. Wirthlin
Joseph L. Wirthlin
Joseph Leopold Wirthlin was the eighth presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
, who was also an LDS Church general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
, serving as Presiding Bishop from 1952 to 1961, and Madeline Bitner Wirthlin. He was a half-first cousin of late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
; the two cousins attended the same LDS Church congregation as children.
As a young man, Wirthlin earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. As a standout high school quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, Wirthlin was offered a football scholarship at the University of Utah, but deferred it and served as a missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
from 1936 to 1939, returning to Utah just before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Wirthlin played American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
following his mission. Before his call as a general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
, Wirthlin was a prominent business leader in Salt Lake City. He was also president of a trade association in Utah.
For over nine years (May 25, 1955 – June 7, 1964) Wirthlin was the bishop of the Bonneville Ward in Salt Lake City. The same day he was released as bishop he was called to serve in the stake high council, being set apart
Setting apart
Setting apart is an ordinance or ritual in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whereby a person is formally chosen and blessed to carry out a specific calling or responsibility in the church....
by Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1970 until his death. He was the son of Joseph F. Smith, who was the sixth president of the LDS Church...
. On December 6, 1964, Wirthlin was set apart by LeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards was a prominent missionary and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as the seventh presiding bishop of the LDS Church from 1938 to 1952, and was then called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by Church President David O. McKay...
as second counselor to Russell M. Nelson
Russell M. Nelson
Russell Marion Nelson is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and an internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon.-Medical career:...
in the Salt Lake Bonneville Stake Presidency; Wirthlin was Nelson's counselor until Nelson's release in June 1971. Wirthlin's call to the Quorum of the Twelve came very shortly after his call to serve in the presidency of the seventy. Wirthlin became a general authority
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of the church in 1975, when he was called to serve as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, commonly shortened to Assistant to the Twelve or Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1941 and 1976...
. He was the last individual called as an Assistant to the Twelve before the position was discontinued in 1976. With the death of Hinckley in 2008, Wirthlin became the oldest living apostle.
Wirthlin married Elisa Young Rogers on May 26, 1941, in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
. She died in August 2006 of causes incident to age.
On 1 December 2008, Wirthlin "had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age." He was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
.
Shortly after his death, the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
announced that the Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship which will benefit the Utah football program
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
, would be named in his honor. On January 2, 2009 when the Utes won the Sugar Bowl
2009 Sugar Bowl
The 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl was the 75th annual edition of the annual college football bowl game that is part of the 2008–09 bowl season of the Bowl Championship Series 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
all of the Utah players wore a commemorative sticker on their helmets with the initials JBW in his honor.
External links
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: Joseph B. Wirthlin
- AP Obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune