Joseph Bitner Wirthlin was born June 11, 1917, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is now 90 years old. His father served in the Presiding Bishopric for 23 years. Elder Wirthlin is a distant cousin of the late President Hinckley. Their middle name is the same--a name of a common ancestor (Joseph Bitner Wirthlin and Gordon Bitner Hinckley.)
Elder Wirthlin is an Eagle Scout. He was involved in football and track in high school and played several years on the University of Utah football team. He gave up his senior year of football to serve a mission from 1937-39 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. He returned home and graduated with a business degree from the University of Utah.
He married Elisa Young Rogers in the Salt Lake temple in May 1941. They have 8 children (7 daughters and 1 son) and 46 grandchildren. Sister Wirthlin passed away in August 2006.
Before being called as a General Authority, Elder Wirthlin ran his family grocery store. He also served as the President of Utah Grocers' Association and President of the Utah Surveyors' Association.
In the Church, Elder Wirthlin has served as a Bishop, Counselor in a Stake Presidency, Counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency, Assistant to the Twelve, member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and in the Presidency of the Seventy. He was called to the Quorum of the Twelve on October 4, 1986, at the age of 69.
Elder Wirthlin is a big believer in planning and makes a daily list of what he needs to accomplish.
In his most recent talk given in October 2007 General Conference on the topic of love, Elder Wirthlin began shaking and had a difficult time speaking. Elder Russell M. Nelson stood up to support him. It is interesting that Elder Nelson stood up to help Elder Wirthlin during his talk (besides the fact of Elder Nelson being a medical doctor). They have a long relationship of serving in the Church together going back to the 1960's. When Elder Nelson was a Stake President in Salt Lake, Elder Wirthlin served as his counselor. Then Elder Nelson was called to the General Sunday School Presidency for the entire Church and Elder Wirthlin again served as his counselor. After a few years, Elder Wirthlin was called as an Assistant to the Twelve and he was one of the General Authorities that Elder Nelson reported to. Later, when Elder Nelson was a member of the Twelve and Elder Wirthlin a Seventy, they both had responsibilities over Europe and worked together. Now they are both members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
On a personal note, I met him last summer at an event for my work. He was very nice and we talked a little bit about football. My wife and I also saw him in the Salt Lake temple one day. He was in a wheelchair being pushed by his son, Joe Jr. As I have heard him speak and seen him in person, I know Elder Wirthlin is a chosen servant of the Lord and an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
Sources:
Official Background Information from the Church
Article in the Ensign about Elder Wirthlin--this one has some good stories about his son stowing away in the car and Elder Wirthlin courting his wife.
Additionally, I took a class at BYU on the lives of the Apostles. I relied on some documents from that class.
1 comment:
That's cool you are doing a biography on each. Me and Cass met President (who was just "Elder" at the time) Uchtdorf at the church historical center about a year ago. He was really nice, I will have to give you the detailed encounter when you do him.
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