Elder Wirthlin played football (running back)at the University of Utah.
He married Elisa Young Rogers on May 26, 1941. She passed away two years ago.
Beloved Apostle, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
June 11, 1917 - December 1, 2008
I will miss Elder Wirthlin. He died peacefully last night at about 11:30 pm. His oldest daughter, Jane was with him. He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday. At the age of 91, he was the oldest living apostle.
Who can ever forget the talk he gave during General Conference in November 2007? He started trembling but with determination finished the talk. Elder Nelson lovingly left his seat to steady him during the remainder of his talk.
"Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life. The most cherished and sacred moments of our lives are those filled with the spirit of love. The greater the measure of our love, the greater is our joy. In the end, the development of such love is the true measure of success in life."
"When I was young I loved playing sports, and I have many fond memories of those days. But not all of them are pleasant. I remember one day after my football team lost a tough game, I came home feeling discouraged. My mother was there. She listened to my sad story. She taught her children to trust in themselves and each other, not blame others for their misfortunes, and give their best effort in everything we attempted.
When we fell down, she expected us to pick ourselves up and get going again. So the advice my mother gave me then wasn't altogether unexpected. It has stayed with me all my life.
"Joseph," she said, "come what may, and love it."
I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.
We can say, as did my mother, "Come what may, and love it."
"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."
These are a few of my favorites quotes from the talks Elder Wirthlin gave. His life was one of devotion and dedicated service. What a joyous reunion it must have been with his sweetheart, Elisa. He mentioned several times how much he missed her. I find comfort in knowing that my life and so many other lives have been enriched by Elder Wirthlin's teachings and loving example.
