My Brethren And Sisters I Feel Deeply...

My brethren and sisters, I feel deeply grateful for the experiences that have been mine the past four years, and I sorrow with you in the passing of President George Albert Smith. It was he who advised me four years ago of my call to the Twelve, and no man could have shown more love or affection or consideration for a new member of the Quorum than did President Smith. If I were to be called upon today to express the chief characteristic of the brethren with whom I associate, I should say that it is that virtue which has been so properly credited to President George Albert Smith. ¶

There is an eternal truth, the verity of which I am certain, that love begets love, and as we love one another, our ability to love increases. This has been my experience as I have labored so closely during the past four years with these brethren whom I love so dearly. I have been conscious in my own life that as the days and the months and the years have gone by, my ability to love my fellow men has correspondingly increased. ¶

President Smith's Example

I doubt that I have ever in my life seen an example of the love and devotion of one man for another more than that exhibited by President George Albert Smith for President George F. Richards. ¶

As our boat docked in the harbor of Honolulu last August, word was brought on board that President George F. Richards had that morning passed away. To me, it was a testimony of the virtue of our great past President to see the love and the affection that he bore for his companion of more than forty years in the Presiding councils of this Church. His heart was filled with grief, and though he was not well, even then, and certainly not physically strong, his first impulse, his first impression was to fly home. He turned to me and said, "Brother Moyle, don't you think we ought to get off the boat and fly right back to attend the funeral and to pay our respects to the life's work of President Richards?" Well, it seemed to be wisdom to advise the President to conserve his strength to remain and perform the special mission upon which he had embarked and had so graciously taken me with him. Then, finally, when word arrived from his good Counselors here at home, he was satisfied that it was the wise and the discreet thing to do to stay there. But that did not minimize the love or the affection that President Smith bore President Richards in the sorrow he felt at his passing. ¶

I want to bear testimony today that it has been my choice privilege during these recent past years to become intimately acquainted with two of the choice sons of our Heavenly Father who have now been called home. I don't know that a father could have shown a son, even his favored son, more affection than President Richards bestowed upon me during the years that I had the privilege to serve under him in the Quorum of the Twelve. ¶

Love Among Brethren

I want to say today, my brethren and sisters, to supplement what Brother Cowley said this morning, that just as certain as it is necessary to have a Quorum of the Twelve upon the earth, so it is necessary that that quorum should be comprised of men who love one another. I bear this humble testimony to you today that the men who constitute the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are men who are devoted, not only to the service to which they have been called, but also to one another. I was grateful for the words of Brother Cowley this morning when he referred to our meeting in the temple Thursday. A like number of men could not be gathered anywhere in this world under any other circumstances and find in their hearts the love and the devotion, the loyalty for one another that exists in this, the Presiding Council of this Church today. ¶

Interest in Individuals

I was very greatly impressed when President Smith became president of this Church. One of his early responsibilities as president was to attend a welfare meeting of the General Committee on Friday morning. His conduct there was indicative of the life that he had lived, the service that he had rendered his people, the knowledge that he had of the individual members of this Church. That first morning a case came before us for his consideration. It was the application for assistance of a humble Saint. He had come from a country in Europe, had not been here long, unknown to most of us although some of us had labored as missionaries in that some country. In the presentation of his case we were just a little impersonal and had not particularly emphasized his name. But the mere mention of it caused President Smith to ask if that man was not a former resident of Berlin. And when we told him that he was, he said, "How can we refrain from giving consideration to his case? His generosity in the Church deserves our help. It was my privilege to eat at that man's table." We found out later that he and his family had saved of their earnings for a week and had little or nothing to eat for that week, practically fasted in order that they might have the means with which to spread what they thought was an appropriate dinner before a servant of God who had been sent into their midst, one of the Quorum of the Twelve, George Albert Smith. I tell you, his interest in the people of this Church individually can hardly be excelled. He was interested in the smallest details. ¶

Care of Church Funds

I just want to bear witness to one other incident. On one of the Friday mornings when we were presenting our usual matters of business, there were some items that involved not more than five dollars or ten dollars or fifteen dollars, and the question was raised as to whether it was necessary to bring such trivial items to the attention of the First Presidency for their approval. The matter was taken under consideration, and I confess I expected that there might be some limit below which the Welfare Committee might act without bringing it for the final approval of the Presidency and our advisers on the Friday morning. But no, when the next Friday came, President Smith said, "We'll continue to follow the rule which you have always followed, and there will be no item too small for the consideration of the brethren here at this Friday morning meeting." ¶

Now, when we have men of that kind entrusted to the high offices of this Church, there are none of us that need to worry about the manner in which the Church and its affairs are taken care of. ¶

The meticulous care with which the funds of this Church are guarded is a revelation to me, because that kind of care does not exist in the ordinary businesses of mankind in the world. ¶

A Great Missionary

President Smith was a great missionary. As we were going over to Hawaii on the boat, on the night of the captain's dinner President Smith felt that he should do something for the captain and not merely be the recipient of some favor from him. And so, as we went to the dining room that evening, President Smith had in his hand one of his favorite copies of The Improvement Era. It was, of course, a formal affair at the captain's table; the ladies and the men were dressed in formal attire. It took a man of the courage of President Smith to do what he did, because before that dinner was over he had gone to the captain of that ship and given to him The Improvement Era and paid his respects to him and his guests. ¶

There were some of us on board the vessel who felt that, had the captain known the precious soul that his ship bore, he would have done him the honor of having called upon him and would have had his table graced by the presence of one of God's anointed. The fact that he didn't did not prevent President Smith from proceeding to give to that captain the missionary message which The Improvement Era contained. ¶

God bless the memory of these brethren, and may that same spirit continue to be with the Twelve and with all of the General Authorities. May it continue to reach out as it does into the stakes and into the wards of this Church, that we may in very deed be a people known the world over for the love and the affection and the loyalty we have for one another, I pray humbly in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶