President M. Russell Ballard dies at age 95 after a lifetime of service as an energetic, diligent disciple of Jesus Christ
President Ballard served for 47 years as a general Church leader; at the time of his death, he was the Church’s longest-serving living general authority
By Rachel Sterzer Gibson 14 Nov 2023, 10:21 AM CST
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, who sat beside President Ballard in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for more than three decades, said: “We worked together closely, and I always loved his warm manner. … He was a man to be trusted. And he was a man who trusted you.”
President Ballard is survived by his seven children, 43 grandchildren, 105 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
A grandson of the Apostle Melvin J. Ballard through his father, a grandson of Apostle Hyrum Mack Smith through his mother, and a descendant of Church President Joseph F. Smith and Hyrum Smith, brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, through his mother, President Ballard often acknowledged the influence of his strong Latter-day Saint lineage.
“Knowing I was born into a goodly family and realizing the sacrifices my forefathers made for the gospel gave me a greater desire to do what is right and accept callings,” he said when he was called to the Quorum of the Seventy.
Throughout his tenure as a general Church leader, he prominently displayed the sculpted busts of Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith and Joseph F. Smith in his office at Church headquarters.
“They’re looking at me all the time, and sometimes I think I hear them say: ‘Get with it, boy, don’t just sit there. Get something done,’” President Ballard told the Church News in an interview in 2018.
President Ballard was a great proponent of the simple truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a Church News podcast, he commented that his children engraved “Keep it simple” on the back of the headstone he will share with his dear wife.
“I’m a great advocate of keeping it simple, because simplicity is powerful. Complexity is dangerous. I think Lucifer is the master of complexity, and the Lord is the master of simplicity. The gospel is simple, and it’s simply beautiful,” he said.
https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/11/13/23957261/president-m-russell-ballard-dies-at-age-95-acting-president-quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles
This part of QANON is Dead.