Tribute to Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

By Special Guest-blogger Mike


A great man passed away last night.

Elder Joseph Wirthlin died peacefully at his home in Salt Lake City at the age of 91. Elder Wirthlin was an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve in the LDS Church, which is the highest Quorum in our Church.

Misty and I first met Elder Wirthlin while we were attending the University of Utah. I was serving in a bishopric with his son-in-law, Dan McConkie. Elder Wirthlin liked to attend church with his daughter and on a few occasions, when he was not on assignment in other parts of the world, he came by our worship services. On one such time, I was asked to give the closing prayer at the end of the service. When I finished the prayer and started to walk away from the pulpit, Elder Wirthlin stopped me. I waited for what I was sure to be some word of counsel--a nugget of wisdom regarding the eternities. He inspected me closely and appeared to be looking deeply into my soul.

"You look like you are a great football player!" he said breaking into a grin. "I would have loved to follow a big blocking back like you leading the charge."

I know it sounds funny, but part of the kinship I felt with Elder Wirthlin was because I share his great love for the University of Utah, and especially its football team. He was nicknamed "speedy" while playing running back for the Runnin' Utes. His most notable achievement as a football player was a kickoff return for a touchdown against Colorado at Boulder in 1936.

Elder Wirthlin sometimes traveled with the Utah football team on road games, even when he was well into his 80s. Former Ute Coach Urban Meyer loved Elder Wirthlin, and invited him to stop by Ute practices to give the team a "pep talk."

Occasionally, well-meaning members of the LDS church have questioned my devotion to the Church, or suggested that I have deep issues because I love the Utah Football team and cheer for it over the team from the Church owned school, BYU. For me, a good response has been: "Well, I suppose I suffer from the same deep issues that plague Elder Wirthlin."

Over the years, Elder Wirthlin has taught thousands of sermons. In my mind, one of his best was called "Sunday Will Come." After describing the agony Christ suffered on the cross late in the day on a Friday, Elder Wirthlin explained that two days later, on Sunday, all was made well through the resurrection.

Elder Wirthlin concluded, "Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come."

We're looking forward to Sunday, Elder Wirthlin.