Tomorrow, President Henry B. Eyring will observe his 84th birthday. I wanted to take this opportunity to pay a brief tribute to his lifetime of extensive Church Service. His general Church service began when Elder Neal A. Maxwell, then Commissioner of Church Education, invited him to become the president of Ricks College, which is now known as BYU-Idaho. President Eyring would later go on to serve twice as Commissioner of Church Education himself between 1980 and 1986, and again between 1992 and 2004.
In the interim, he was called in 1985 to serve as First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric under future fellow apostle Robert D. Hales, and was sustained a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1992. Three years later, in April 1995, he became the first apostle called by President Gordon B. Hinckley, who called him 12.5 years later to serve as the new Second Counselor in the First Presidency following the death of President James E. Faust. When President Hinckley himself passed away just under four months later, President Eyring resumed his place in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for a week prior to being called as first counselor to President Thomas S. Monson on February 3, 2008.
In light of the recent Church announcement that President Monson will no longer be actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the Church, President Eyring and Second Counselor President Dieter F. Uchtdorf will, in consultation with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, will see to the day-to-day operations of the Church, including making any decisions that that do not need President Monson's input and consent. This will be a great opportunity for all 14 apostles to grow. In the meantime, while President Eyring is naturally showing some minor signs of his 84 years of life, he still seems to be healthy and operating at the fullest of his ability.
So, in preparation for his special day tomorrow, I would like to thank President Eyring for his many years of devoted service in the Church. He is known as one of the most tenderhearted of our current apostles, and has demonstrated time and time again his devotion to the Church and his concern for its members and what they are going through on a day-to-day basis. Speaking personally, I was initially surprised to hear President Hinckley announce that President Eyring would be joining the First Presidency those many years ago, but I have long since realized just how inspired that decision was. President Eyring, though he is the 7th in apostolic seniority at present, has been very devoted and committed to carrying on the work of the Lord under the direction of President Monson, and I have every confidence that he, President Uchtdorf, and the other apostles will continue to advance the marvelous vision President Monson has for the progression of the Church.
Best wishes to President Eyring as he observes his birthday tomorrow. Comments are welcome and appreciated. Thanks to you all for taking time to read this.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Wishing a Happy Birthday to President Henry B. Eyring
I have had a lifelong love for Church history, which has extended to ongoing reports of the ministry of our apostles and prophets, General Conference, and all temple developments. This blog enables me to share that love with all who read my thoughts on these developments, which are sometimes reported multiple times per day as needed.
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