A great leader of my church passed away last night. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was a gentle example of kindness, service and devotion to Heavenly Father. He will be missed by many, including me.
Elder Wirthlin left a legacy of hard work as an example to all of us. He woke early every day to study the scriptures, prepare his schedule and plan the most efficient use of his time. He said, "There is old proverb, which says, 'An inch of gold will not buy an inch of time.' We must put a sufficiently high value on time. It is valuable and should not be wasted."
His last conference address, Come What May, and Love It was full of great spiritual wisdom and advice about enduring life's challenges and seeking for joy. It advice that I need to remember. Here is a quote from that talk:
Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.
Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.
Elder Wirthlin also encouraged us to "learn to laugh" which is one of life's best cures for sorrow and disappointment. He truly enjoyed life- after playing football for the University of Utah, Elder Wirthlin remained a die-hard Ute fan for life!
Elder Wirthlin was not only a great leader to millions, he was a devoted family patriarch. Many of my good friends are related to this wonderful man, to some of them he was first and foremost their beloved "Granddad." (My friend, Dave, wrote poignantly today about Elder Wirthlin's love of family.)
I know that Elder Wirthlin is enjoying a happy reunion with his beloved wife and his family even as I write this. So I don't mourn his loss, I celebrate his life and that he has earned his great reward!
I hope you can gain some spiritual hope today from learning a bit about this great man.
photo: Deseret News
Thank you for posting this great tribute to Elder Wirthlin. I just heard about his passing and am sad, but am overjoyed for him to be reunited with his sweet Elisa.
ReplyDeleteI was talking with my mom today about Elder Wirthlin. She told me that she was talking to my aunt Lis the other day (Nate's mom, Elder Wirthlin's daughter) and Lis told her that just last week her dad told her all he wanted for Christmas was to be with his sweet Elisa.
ReplyDeleteI love this post! I loved him! His last conference talk was so good, he will be missed.... :(
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ReplyDeleteFinals put me way behind in blog checking. But, today, I finally caught up and noticed your post about Elder Wirthlin. Interesting how we all felt so connected to him. What a great man.