514 David O. McKayPresident of the Church, 19511970 "Every member a missionary," taught President McKay (in Conference Report, Apr. 1959, 12122). The Church accelerated its missionary work under his direction. He championed the family and the home, reminding us that "no other success can compensate for failure in the home" (quoted from J. E. McCulloch, Home: The Savior of Civilization [1924], 42; in Conference Report, Apr. 1935, 116). He often quoted, "To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved" (Gospel Ideals [1953], 187). "Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God's greatest gift to man" (Gospel Ideals, 299). Although he valued education highly, he said, "Character is higher than intellect" (Gospel Ideals, 443). President McKay explained the importance of good works: "Spirituality is best manifested in doing, not in dreaming. Rapturous day dreams, flights of heavenly fancy, longings to see the invisible, are not so impressive as the plain doing of duty" (True to the Faith, comp. Llewelyn R. McKay [1966], 24445). 1873 | Born on 8 September in Huntsville, Utah, to David McKay and Jennette Evans McKay | 1881 | Age 8, baptized in Spring Creek, Huntsville, Utah, on his birthday while his father served a mission to Great Britain | 189799 | Ages 2426, serves a mission to Scotland | 1901 | Age 27, marries Emma Ray Riggs, his college sweetheart, on 2 January; she dies in 1970 | 1906 | Age 32, ordained an Apostle by President Joseph F. Smith on 9 April | 192021 | Ages 4748, visits Church missions worldwide; dedicates the land of China to missionary work | 192224 | Ages 4951, serves as president of the European Mission | 1934 | Age 61, called as a counselor to President Heber J. Grant; later called as a counselor to President George Albert Smith (1945) | 1951 | Age 77, sustained as President of the Church on 9 April, with Stephen L. Richards and J. Reuben Clark Jr. as counselors | 1955 | Age 82, dedicates the Swiss Temple on 11 September | 1956 | Age 82, dedicates the Los Angeles Temple on 11 March | 1958 | Age 84, dedicates the New Zealand Temple on 20 April and the London Temple on 7 September | 1964 | Age 91, dedicates the Oakland Temple on 17 November | 1970 | Age 96, dies on 18 January in Salt Lake City after serving almost 64 years as a General Authority, longer than any other man, and nearly 19 years as President of the Church |
SummaryDavid O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, encouraged missionary work when he said, "Every member a missionary." He also taught the importance of home and family by saying that having a righteous family is the best success we can have in this life. Artist, Alvin Gittins © 1997 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA |
