A successful manhattan attorney's response when he became referred to as to be an Apostle: 'All my wealth is on the altar. Take it.'

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Brother Henry D. Moyle, then the chairman of the generic Welfare Committee, had been in Salt Lake metropolis before conference, but became given permission via President George Albert Smith to trip to ny city (to begin some felony work for a consumer) when you consider that there were no most important Welfare considerations desiring his consideration.1 but as widely wide-spread conference became about to beginning (then a 3-day affair), Henry got a "long-distance" mobile call from President Smith, through which he was called as an Apostle and informed to come automatically to Salt Lake metropolis so he could be sustained and ordained.2 

close the conclusion of convention, Elder Moyle turned into given possibility to communicate. His words were an expression of humility: "It goes devoid of announcing that we do during this Church what we are instructed. I even have in no way understood that it turned into my privilege as a member of this Church, retaining the priesthood, to claim no. I even have under no circumstances had a desire in my coronary heart to do anything aside from that which the brethren direct. while i'll believe as if one of the most things that they have got most these days asked me to do are past my power, on the other hand so far as my Heavenly Father will give me the vigour to behave I shall accomplish that, and all that I actually have and am belongs to my Heavenly Father." After noting his comprehensive willingness to be obedient, he bore testimony: "i do know that here is the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . There has never been a question of a doubt in my mind that our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ perceived to Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove. I have stood on that spot. I even have heard the memories of the leaders of this Church borne there. I have felt with all the feeling there turned into within my being, that that changed into the Sacred Grove, and that that turned into the place the gospel of Jesus Christ became again restored to mankind nowadays."3 

In a gathering of the first Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, Henry D. Moyle turned into ordained an Apostle with the aid of President George Albert Smith and then given the apostolic can charge. It has been cited that Brother Moyle changed into a person of wealth, probably a millionaire. it is notion that Elder Matthew Cowley was relating to Elder Moyle when he referred to right here, about Elder Moyle's humble spirit of consecration, in a 1953 consult with BYU college students: "I'll under no circumstances overlook the day I heard one [new Apostle] after he had acquired the [apostolic] charge, when he was ordained to the council—one of the wealthiest ones there. He stood up and he referred to, 'every thing I personal, every little thing I possess, all my securities, all my wealth is on the altar. Take it.'"4 Elder Moyle felt that his capacity to hand over the apply of legislation and the pursuit of wealth, together with his name to the apostleship, turned into a different present to him from God. He defined:

i will be able to in no way stop to be grateful to the Lord for the primary and lasting influence he gave me in reference to my call into the circle of the customary Authorities. It appeared that spontaneously, straight away, without any voluntary act upon my half (I in fact can not declare any credit score for it) I had no hobby in the rest that pertained to my former occupation. i was in big apple on one of the largest criminal matters that I had ever handled, and i had just barely laid the groundwork for the negotiations on a Friday afternoon, with appointments made for the subsequent week, when President Smith referred to as me and told me to trap an evening aircraft domestic. From that moment to this I even have never been lower back into my old workplace. when I got here home President George F. Richards mentioned, "i would like to look you in the morning." He made his request on the afternoon session of the conference, and i was due returned in ny—I had bee n promised by way of President [George Albert] Smith that I can be lower back in new york Monday morning. but, to make a protracted story brief, I never went at all. I telephoned long island and advised my customer to pack up my bags, which I had not had time to bring with me that Friday night, and to convey them home. I recommended him that he would must delivery over once more with somebody else. He changed into, of path, agreeable.

i'm so grateful for that. It become no longer even a temptation. I had long past to President Smith just the Tuesday earlier than. (i was then the chairman of the general Welfare Committee and had been for decades, and i changed into aware of going to convention.) I observed, "Would you like to excuse me from this regular conference, or should I give up this work in ny?" and he pointed out, "Go forward, my boy. We haven't any use for you here." And so I left. So i know that between Tuesday and Friday afternoon anything happened. President Smith told me what came about, and i have in no way had any event to doubt it. He spoke of that the Lord had spoken. What changed into there on earth that may hobby me? You understand, my religion was just standard sufficient to believe him. i do know with all my coronary heart and soul what he informed me changed into real. And so there become not anything in existence that had any interest for me. . . . however i am grateful to the Lord that he made that divorcement so complete, so definite, and so brief as a result of i am certain that therein lies the foundation and the foundation for the rest I actually have been in a position to do, due to the fact, in assisting with his work. . . .

i really like to endure my testimony of the divinity of this work. i really like to be engaged in it. and that i need to say to you in all humility that i do know that the Lord magnifies us in our callings. i do know that i will be able to name on the Lord for his aid these days and recognize that i am going to get it. I actually have that assurance, and when the day is over i know that I have had that support and may kneel down and thank God for it. I consider i'd be probably the most miserable of all guys on the planet if that had been now not the case. i'd hate to need to stand on my own. i'm bound I couldn't stand by myself and achieve the work that I should still accomplish in my calling. That is right of every one of us, brethren.

Now, i hope and pray the Lord will bless us with his Spirit and let it wipe out of our minds any doubts, any uncertainties, any unwillingness on our part to move the total method. i am inclined to face earlier than anybody on earth and phone them to repentance and to endure my unequivocal testimony to them. And the second that I let propriety, or friendship, or motive, or anything, grasp me lower back from doing what i do know my responsibility to be, i am sure that i'd lose the spirit that I now have fun with. . . .

And still, out of all the capacity and techniques by which he might have dependent the actuality in the coronary heart of that boy prophet, Joseph Smith, he chose this one. And after a hundred thirty years, the entire knowledge of mankind has by no means made it feasible for us to plot an improved potential than to convey, appropriate from the shoulder, the eternal truth that God published to Joseph Smith—and let the chips fall the place they may also. I don't have any apology for any man upon the face of the earth for what the Lord mentioned to Joseph Smith. and i haven't any apology to offer any man, if he will stand still long satisfactory to listen to me inform him what the Lord talked about.5 

Bearing His particular Witness of Jesus Christ

In 1954, Elder Harold B. Lee invited Elder Moyle to communicate to a gaggle of Church academic gadget instructors. the first Presidency had assigned Elder Lee to train these men as a result of a few of them had been (alarmingly) drifting into unorthodox doctrinal territory. They spent two hours a day, 5 days per week, for 5 weeks, being taught by using Elder Lee and just a few different church leaders that he occasionally invited to change for him. 

Elder Moyle become asked to explain his testimony as a unique witness of Christ, together with the query of whether it turned into imperative to peer Jesus to qualify. Elder Moyle quoted notably from President Joseph Fielding Smith on the field (that it become no longer vital for an Apostle to look Jesus to benefit his special witness), after which spoke of his own testimony or witness, of the truth of Jesus the Christ, and the way he knew:

I want to bear witness of my own knowledge . . . that there is that this stronger witness that comes into our hearts, a witness that we are able to no extra deny than we are able to deny that which is absolutely clean in our mind. it is a witness that continues with us daily of our ministry, regardless of where we're or to whom we bear witness to the reality. . . .

That testimony comes to us in the course of the Holy Ghost. . . .

And when that reward comes to us, my brethren and sisters, we do not have any additional witness. we've got the optimum viable witness that can be given to man from God. . . .

You don't want any logic or syllogism to understand when the Holy Ghost has advised you. it is remaining. . . .

we have a sworn statement; we who are witnesses haven't any need of witnesses. as a consequence may still we be certified for our work within the Church, and that i tell you, brothers and sisters, there are others who haven't viewed the Savior however understand that He lives and that he is the Redeemer of mankind.

Now I wish to say to you that as I have gone alongside right here today, I even have endeavored to undergo my testimony to you. I have fun within the name which has come to me. I even have always felt, and that i hope that I shall all the time think, humble in it. It has been my aim considering this name got here to me to serve. I haven't desired to ask the rest of anyone. I actually have simply desired to provide. I actually have felt that there become no carrier to which man may be called bigger than to evangelise the gospel. There isn't any work that pertains to the workplace of a member of the Quorum of the Twelve it is bigger than to bear witness to the area that God lives and that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. . . .

some of us wander over the earth, and infrequently we begin to wonder what want we have of a house or a place to put our heads, because anyplace we go there looks to be some provision made for us. The Lord offers for us, gives us all that we need, and that i am bound that we amplify our callings in no larger recognize or regard than we do as we exit and fill these assignments throughout the Church and all through the area and provides all that we now have and are to the carrier of the Lord. i do know that as this call got here to me, there came a witness of the Holy Ghost that I had under no circumstances possessed earlier than, a transformation that now and again I think turned into actual in addition to non secular. . . .

neatly, it was of supreme delight to me that I [can] . . . bear witness to it—that whatever thing some distance greater than any earthly profession had come into my lifestyles, and my most effective problem now turned into that I may proceed to so live that this witness, which has been borne in upon me by way of the reward and vigor of the Holy Ghost, could by no means leave me. I actually have been given to understand that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ, to the factor the place no imaginative and prescient, no revelation, no divine manifestation might in anywise, as I believe these days, add to the assurance that I have in my being that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He and the father gave the impression to Joseph Smith, and thru divine manifestations of the servants of God, he received the keys of the dispensation of the fulness of instances.6 

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Notes

1. For these unfamiliar with Elder Moyle's lifestyles, he labored as a lawyer on the identical time he served within the unpaid, half-time place on the Welfare Committee. See the total chapter at truthwillprevail.xyz for more particulars. 2. These pursuits are connected in additional detail in Richard D. poll, Working the Divine Miracle: The life of Apostle Henry D. Moyle, ed., Stan Larson (Salt Lake city: Signature Books, 1999), 143-forty six. three. "strength of the Gospel," conference report, April 1947, 159. 4. Matthew Cowley, "studying to are living through improved Use of Vocational opportunities," BYU Speeches, June 19, 1953; I consider this comment had reference to Elder Moyle because Elder Cowley had, prior in his speak, mentioned President Moyle's name however had cut himself off; then later he spoke anonymously about "one" of their number. additional, Elder Moyle was truly one of the crucial wealthiest guys in the Quorum of the Twelve. 5. Henry D. Moyle, "tackle to Seminary and Institute faculty, Brigham young college, June 27, 1962, 6-8. 6. Henry D. Moyle, "value of a private Testimony," Lecture Given to Seminary and Institute teachers, Brigham young school, July 16, 1954.