[Music] future [Music] missionar as an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints and direct descendant of hyram Smith Brother of church founder Joseph Smith president M Russell Balor dedicated his life to the growth of the church we had the privilege of sitting beside a man who is the great great grandson of hram Smith and joose Smith was his great great uncle both of his grandfathers were Apostles of the Lord his commitment and his consecration were in his blood president Ballard was sustained as an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday
Saints on October 6th 1985 Jesus is the Christ that he lives he is very close to this work and very close to all of us that are asked to perform the work throughout the Earth in his name as with the apostles in New Testament times latterday St Apostles are called to be special Witnesses of Jesus Christ president Ballard was one of 15 men who helped oversee the growth and development of the global Church Melvin Russell Ballard was born in Salt Lake City Utah on October 8 1928 to Melvin R and Geraldine Smith Ballard as a
teenage boy president Ballard learned how to drive shuttling cars around his father's dealership under his dad's Direction he learned the value of hard work and how to inspire others those characteristics provided marvelous preparation for the future Church leader prior to his call as a general Authority president Ballard worked in the automotive real estate and investment business when he was a young businessman um if things didn't go right you know many business people would just say well sorry um but my dad would always figure out a way to make it right in the corm of the
12 there are people with many different professional backgrounds Elder Ballard and a few other members of the 12 brought business experience I will miss his extraordinary judgment and wisdom I been blessed by that again and again he attended the University of Utah where he met Barbara Bowen they were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1951 and are the parents of seven children with many grandchildren and great grandchildren the best thing Elder Ballard has done in his life is to marry Barbara Bowen in the Salt Lake Temple on August 28 1951 sister Ballard was a
great comp compliment to him spelled both ways she complimented him when he did something nice but she also made him more complete sister Ballard passed away on October 1st 2018 I just think they were so in love with each other to begin with Dad would often say I would never do anything that would hurt your mother I would just think about her looking at me with those big blue eyes and I just I had to just always behave president Ballard served as a full-time missionary to England serving as a counselor to Mission Presidents svoy J
Boer and stainer Richards he served as president of the Canada Toronto Mission he was called as a general Authority in 1976 and in 1997 president Ballard served as the chair of the susqu Centennial committee marking the 150th anniversary AR of the arrival of the Pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley he became the acting president of the Quorum of the 12 apostles on January 14th [Music] 2018 president Ballard cultivated relationships with leaders of the community and other faiths he visited the Vatican to meet with senior Catholic leaders he joined president Russell M Nelson and all members
of the first presidency and Quorum of the 12 in an historic visit to Rome Italy in 2019 to dedicate the temple president Ballard and president Nelson visited Pope Francis in the Vatican in the first meeting ever between a Latter-Day Saint president and a [Music] pope president Balor visited several refugee camps in Europe and other parts of the world to show his support for humanitarian efforts and to extend and a helping hand to those impacted by natural [Music] disasters he loved missionary work and was instrumental in developing the preach my gospel guide book for missionaries president
Ballard wrote several books that introduced many to the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints with unfailing love in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a heartfelt love for his fellow man president Ballard's ministry as an apostle has blessed countless lives throughout the world I bear witness that the resurrected Redeemer of mankind loves all of us and he has promised if we will follow him he will lead us safely back into the presence of our heavenly father of which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ amen [Music]
