During his final years, Elder Wirthlin would often visibly struggle to deliver his general conference messages. (Regardless, I hope I'm doing that well if I make it to 91.) The rumor was that this was because his eyesight had gotten worse and it was harder for him to read from the teleprompter.
Whatever the reason, one image that I think will always stay in my mind was created during one of Elder Wirthlin's last talks. During this talk, he began to shake and wobble. At first, I feared that something serious was taking place, like a stroke. (I later read that it was due to his knees becoming locked together.) It was obvious that he was having a hard time giving this talk, yet he kept right on speaking. (His topic, which I suppose was no coincidence, was on enduring to the end.) Elder Russell M. Nelson soon stood up and held onto his colleage in the Twelve, supporting Elder Wirthlin as he gave the rest of his talk. My mom and I watched this on TV together, and we could not stop crying. I will remember the courage that Elder Wirthlin showed in these few minutes, and I won't I forget the important lesson I learned about the true sense of brotherhood and love that exists among the members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Though his delivery struggled, Elder Wirthlin's talks were pure gold. For my birthday last year, some of my siblings chipped in and bought me Press On: Messages of Faith, Hope, and Charity, a collection of several of his messages as an Apostle. I read through this book during a particularly difficult time in my life that came not long after, and the words and counsel from Elder Wirthlin gave me added strength to face my trials that I sorely needed.I also got to meet him on two occasions: once at a Missionary Department social, back when I worked at the Church Office Building, and again at a University of Utah football pep rally, where he came and spoke about his days as a running back nicknamed "Speedy" during the 1930s.
The title of Elder Wirthlin's final general conference message, "Come What May, and Love It" serve, I think, as a fitting epitaph to his life. He had his share of Fridays, but his Sunday, and a well-earned rest, have come.
2 comments:
I remember the time when Nelson came and stood behind him. It was a great moment.
Great post Jon. What I love most about Elder Wirthlin is that his life was his greatest sermon. He always spoke on Christlike attributes... attributes that he, himself, had already mastered. Love this man!
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