Charles A. Callis
Born: 4 May 1865
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 12 October 1933
Died: 21 January 1947
Called to Quorum of the Twelve: 12 October 1933
Died: 21 January 1947
Conference TalksOct 1908
Apr 1909 Apr 1910 Oct 1910 Apr 1911 Apr 1911 Oct 1911 Apr 1912 Oct 1912 Apr 1913 Oct 1913 Apr 1915 Oct 1915 Apr 1916 Oct 1916 Apr 1917 Oct 1917 Apr 1918 Apr 1918 Image source: Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4, pg. 380
Image source: Relief Society Magazine, March 1947
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Image source: Juvenile Instructor, March 1913
Image source: Wikipedia, public domain
Image source: Instructor, April 1947
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Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Relief Society Magazine, November 1933, Apostle Charles A. Callis
Improvement Era, July 1934, Charles A. Callis
Improvement Era, February 1947, Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve
Improvement Era, March 1947, Editorial: Charles A. Callis
Relief Society Magazine, March 1947, Elder Charles A. Callis
Instructor, April 1947, Apostle Charles A. Callis
Ensign, April 1981, Elder Charles A. Callis: Twentieth Century Missionary
My own research and opinion
Relief Society Magazine, November 1933, Apostle Charles A. Callis
Improvement Era, July 1934, Charles A. Callis
Improvement Era, February 1947, Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve
Improvement Era, March 1947, Editorial: Charles A. Callis
Relief Society Magazine, March 1947, Elder Charles A. Callis
Instructor, April 1947, Apostle Charles A. Callis
Ensign, April 1981, Elder Charles A. Callis: Twentieth Century Missionary
My own research and opinion
Jenson, Andrew. "Callis, Charles A." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 380-381.
CALLIS, Charles A., president of the Southern States Mission from August, 1908, until February, 1934, was born May 4, 1865, in Dublin, Ireland, the son of John Callis and Susannah Charlotte Quilliam. His father died when he was a boy and his widowed mother moved to Liverpool, England, where Charles was baptized when eight years old. The family came to Utah in October, 1875, and resided in Bountiful, Utah, for about two years, then moved to Centerville, Utah, and later moved to Coalville, Utah. During the winter of 1892-1893, Brother Callis devoted all his time for five months filling a mission in Wyoming, which at that time was a part of Summit Stake. In 1893 Elder Callis was called on a mission to England, and while there acted as president of the Irish Conference. On his return to Utah he was appointed
stake superintendent of the Y, M. M. I. A. of Summit Stake and acted in that capacity for nine years. On September, 1902, he married Grace E. Pack, a daughter of Ward E. Pack; eight children are the fruit of this union. In 1906 Elder Callis and his wife were called on a mission to the Southern States. They labored in Florida, over which conference Elder Callis presided. In August, 1908, while he was presiding over the South Carolina Conference, he was appointed to succeed Pres. Benjamin E. Rich as president of the Southern States Mission. Although he had no time to practice law while serving as mission president he was admitted to the Bar in South Carolina and Florida. This gave him prestige and admitted him to circles which otherwise he never could have entered. His wife was president of the Relief Societies in the Southern States for nineteen years. On Oct. 6, 1933, Elder Callis was chosen as one of the Council of the Twelve Apostles and ordained to that office Oct. 14, 1933, by Heber J. Grant. During his residence in Summit County he occupied the following
offices respectively: Constable, member of the city council of Coalville, representative to the Utah Legislature, city attorney of Coalville and county attorney of Summit County.
CALLIS, Charles A., president of the Southern States Mission from August, 1908, until February, 1934, was born May 4, 1865, in Dublin, Ireland, the son of John Callis and Susannah Charlotte Quilliam. His father died when he was a boy and his widowed mother moved to Liverpool, England, where Charles was baptized when eight years old. The family came to Utah in October, 1875, and resided in Bountiful, Utah, for about two years, then moved to Centerville, Utah, and later moved to Coalville, Utah. During the winter of 1892-1893, Brother Callis devoted all his time for five months filling a mission in Wyoming, which at that time was a part of Summit Stake. In 1893 Elder Callis was called on a mission to England, and while there acted as president of the Irish Conference. On his return to Utah he was appointed
stake superintendent of the Y, M. M. I. A. of Summit Stake and acted in that capacity for nine years. On September, 1902, he married Grace E. Pack, a daughter of Ward E. Pack; eight children are the fruit of this union. In 1906 Elder Callis and his wife were called on a mission to the Southern States. They labored in Florida, over which conference Elder Callis presided. In August, 1908, while he was presiding over the South Carolina Conference, he was appointed to succeed Pres. Benjamin E. Rich as president of the Southern States Mission. Although he had no time to practice law while serving as mission president he was admitted to the Bar in South Carolina and Florida. This gave him prestige and admitted him to circles which otherwise he never could have entered. His wife was president of the Relief Societies in the Southern States for nineteen years. On Oct. 6, 1933, Elder Callis was chosen as one of the Council of the Twelve Apostles and ordained to that office Oct. 14, 1933, by Heber J. Grant. During his residence in Summit County he occupied the following
offices respectively: Constable, member of the city council of Coalville, representative to the Utah Legislature, city attorney of Coalville and county attorney of Summit County.
Quinney, Joseph, Jr. "Apostle Charles A. Callis." Relief Society Magazine. November 1933. pg. 661-663.
Apostle Charles A. Callis By Joseph Quinney, Jr. ELDER CHARLES A. CALLIS, richly endowed with the great gift of spiritual power, was unanimously sustained an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ at the general conference of the Church October 6th, 1933. The choice of this greatly beloved man, meets universal approval. Elder Callis saw the light of day May 4th, 1865, in the city of Dublin, Ireland. He was baptized at the age of eight years in the city of Liverpool, England. Two years later he and his mother's family immigrated to Utah and settled in Bountiful. He was married to Grace C. Pack in September, 1902, in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of eight children, six living and two who died in Jacksonville, Florida. He served the Church as a missionary in England during the years 1893-1894. He was Stake Superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. for some time after his return from a mission to England. He was County Attorney of Summit County for six years. He served as a city councilman in Coalville, Utah, for a number of years. He was a member of the 2nd Utah State Legislature and filled the place with honor. He was called to serve the Church as a Missionary in the Southern States in the year 1906. He succeeded the late Ben E. Rich as the President of that Mission and has served in that capacity for a quarter of a century. THE spiritual life of Elder Callis stands out as a great sentinel light, and the depth of his convictions to truth carry a power that stirs the souls of all who come within range of his strong and convincing personality. His faith in Jesus Christ the Lord is most vivid. The life of the Saviour has ever been his great ideal and through the power of the master he has ministered among his fellowmen. It is said that "We judge of a man's wisdom by his hope, his faith and actions." The life of Elder Callis thus judged shows great wisdom. Elder Callis carries always the thought that, "to know God is the controlling passion of life." Hence, the fine artistic qualities in his life are, and always have been, susceptible to all the Saviour taught. His interpretation of the Master is broad, sympathetic and fine. His love for the Christ is exemplified in his very thought, word and action. His "faith is a spiritual extension of vision, a moral sense that reaches out toward the throne of God and takes hold of verities that the mind can not grasp." The most exalted meaning of the gospel to Elder Callis is to love the Lord with all our souls, and then a consideration of our fellowmen with the same character of love. He has never been known to falter in his efforts to impress his fellowmen with the saving graces of the Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. Eternal life is, and always has been his goal, and the passion of his life has been to proclaim this mighty truth to all the world. ELDER CALLIS has impressed every missionary that has labored under his presidency with the thought that, "the path of truth, higher living, truer development in every phase of life is never shut from the individual until he closes it himself." He would have every missionary feel the power of this statement; have him make it a great faith, a real and living factor in his life so that there would be no limits to his progress. The sincerity with which he conveyed this truth was ever impressive and went to the heart of the individual. He would have them think, and pray, and work. The missionaries love and respect Elder Callis and will feel highly honored in his elevation to the exalted position that has come to him, not alone because of their love for him, but because of his great ability and worthiness. Perhaps it is proper to say that no Mission President was ever more loved by the elders and lady missionaries than President Callis. It is a high tribute to any man who places his expectations of reward on a solid foundation of service rendered and who is willing to pay the price of success in honest effort. And this is exactly what Elder Callis has always done. The poise and power with which he has moved among the people of the south will be the same power with which he will move among the saints at home and will be felt in all of the Stakes of Zion and wherever he travels and is known. He is greatly endowed with spiritual warmth and his ability to impart the spiritual side of the gospel will, without doubt, in spire the people everywhere to higher levels of appreciation for the saving graces of the Church. His Loyalty to a cause—the cause of the Church which he has so nobly and ably represented, is outstanding and complete in character. He has always held sacred the Authority and good name of the General Authorities of the Church, and has spoken of them always with appreciation and praise, realizing the great trust imposed in them by God in leading and directing His mighty work. If he were to have a Guide for the conduct of his life, it would read something like this,—"To respect and love my God, His Son Jesus Christ and His work; to uphold and sustain His authority and never permit myself to be untrue to them or the great cause they represent; to be honest and square to my fellowmen, as I expect them to be honest and true to me; to be a loyal citizen of the United States of America ; to speak of it with praise, and act always as a trustworthy custodian of its good name ; to be a man whose name carries weight with it wherever it goes — this is my aim." THE ministry of this good man has been aided by a fine and noble wife ; both have shared the joys and great honors that have come to them. Sister Callis has nursed and mothered the missionaries as they have come to her in the mission field. She has understood their needs and has supplied them. Her appreciation for the great responsibilities that her husband carried gave to her an interpretation of life that, like her husband, was very sympathetic and real. To her "conduct, culture and character are graces that go through life hand in hand, never separate or alone," and she has more than a speaking acquaintanceship with each of these noble qualities of life. Her great weapons for the defense of truth have been humility and prayer. She has been in touch with God. And the power and light of His holy spirit has given her the light of wisdom. No man has appreciated a woman more than President Callis has his devoted wife. If he should "seek to touch the greatness of this fine woman, he would lay his hand upon her heart." To him, she has been all that could have been asked ; she has not only been virtuous, but virtue itself. As she has been with him in the ministry abroad, she will be with him in his new and exalted calling and march on with him in the ministry of God throughout Zion — a strength and an inspiration. ELDER CALLIS has been a great soldier of righteousness, true to God and a fragrance in the path he has traveled. He loves the beautiful in human life and in the great creations of God. He is tolerant to those who do not share the same beliefs as he does. He has a keen sense of humor and is always ready to listen to a good wholesome story, and, at the same time, is ready to tell one. He is very charitable to all and will take time to listen to their stories and troubles. He never sees failure, ''because the golden sun of ambition is always shining in his face, blinding his eyes to the impossibilities. He doesn't heed the warnings of discouragements, because higher and clearer than the little noises of the little people he hears the call of success. He must be what he is. He's filled with the mightiest message given to man—he has been touched with the God-Spark that blazes into achievement." He is a man of God, a lovable companion, a true friend worthy the confidence of all. He comes into the Apostleship of the Church with the blessings of a grateful people. |
Mrs. Grace Pack Callis
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Hinckley, Bryant S. "Greatness in Men: Charles A. Callis." Improvement Era. July 1934. pg. 387-389, 435.
GREATNESS IN MEN This story of one who loved Jesus with his whole heart will be appreciated everywhere but it will be enjoyed most by those who have come in contact personally with this man of strength and power. Here is one who loved his fellow men and has been greatly blessed for it—blessed with the love of all who know him. CHARLES R. CALLIS By BRYANT S. HINCKLEY EVERY chivalrous heart delights to honor those who conquer the "malice of their fate" through the power of consecrated endeavor. For a man whose worldly inheritance was poverty, whose school days were spent in a coal mine, whose text books were heavy tools, whose daily task was to win bread for his widowed mother—to conquer these adverse conditions and to serve with distinction as a state legislator, to qualify for the bar and to succeed as a lawyer, to preach with persuasion and eloquence at home and abroad the revealed gospel of the Master, to preside for twenty-five years over one of the great Missions of the Church, to inspire the lives and direct the activities of thousands of missionaries and finally to be called to the apostleship is an achievement that challenges the admiration of young and old. To do this requires not only ability of an unusual order but an unconquerable will arid the capacity for prolonged and concentrated effort. Charles A. Callis is a self made man in the literal meaning of these words. His broad shoulders and strong hands bear indisputable evidence that he has been on intimate terms with hard work, that he has known first-handed just what the laboring man pays in terms of toil for his daily bread. He speaks with a full and sympathetic understanding the language of the laborer. The school of experience through which he has passed has given him an intimate understanding of the plain people and an insight into their problems that few public men have. A man who has worked in a coal mine for twelve hours a day for $2.50 knows the value of a dollar. For the better part of fifteen years Charles A. Callis worked in the mines at Coalville, Summit County, Utah. He knows what it is to come from the pit after a long, hard day and wash the dust and grime from his face, only to repeat it day after day. THERE may be young men who think the door of opportunity is closed, that there is no chance for them. Not so. Charles A. Callis spent the impressionable years of his life in work that offered little opportunity for growth arid culture. Today he stands unabashed in any presence, at home in any society. How did he do it? It is the same dramatic and inspiring story of strong men rising from humble surroundings to eminence. The best friend a young man has is not comfort, but the stimulus and challenge that comes from a hard environment, opposition to which awakens his slumbering powers and reveals his hidden resources. The strongest men have not come from cushioned lives. Soft surroundings often breed failure. "Charlie," as he is familiarly called, was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 4, 1865, son of John and Charlotte Quilliam Callis. His father died when Charles was a child. The widowed mother, with her children, moved to Liverpool, where Charles was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church when he was eight years of age. Two years later the family, consisting of the mother, two sons and two daughters, left England for Utah. They sailed in the S. S. Dekota, traveling third class "because," as he smilingly observed, "there was no fourth class." Their coming was made possible through the Perpetual Emigration Fund — a plan adopted by the Church for assisting people to emigrate to this country. The Callis family settled first in Bountiful, Davis County, three years later moving to Coalville, Summit County, where Charles made his home until he went to the Southern States on a mission. In 1893 he was called on a mission to England and while there was made president of the Irish conference. On his return he served as stake superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. A. in Summit stake for nine years. In this service he displayed the qualities of a real leader. Cheerful but determined he faced every obstacle. During .one winter he experienced difficulty in maintaining an organization at Echo, which is located down the canyon from Coalville. He had no conveyance, this was prior to the days of the automobile, but before he would allow that association to fail he walked down and back, a distance of ten miles, once each week, giving the lessons and conducting the meeting. Failure is not written in the lexicon of Charles A. Callis. IN September, 1902, he married Grace E. Pack, an experienced and successful school teacher, who is a woman of sound judgment, of superior intellectual endowments, of rare patience and sweetness of character, who knows how to comfort and encourage a missionary boy far from home. She has been a constant support and inspiration to her husband in the discharge of his arduous and responsible duties as president of the Mission. She was president of the Relief Society of the Mission for twenty-five years. This union has been blessed with eight children: Grace (Mrs. Paul Summerhays) Kathleen (Mrs. Spencer A. Larson) ; Charles Albert and Nephi Quilliam (twins, deceased) ; Josephine (Mrs. Irwin Spillsbury) ; Laura; Paul John, and Pearl. In 1896 he was elected a member of the state legislature from Summit County. This was a historic session. In those days United States senators were elected by the state legislature. During this session the contest for the senatorship developed one of the bitterest political fights ever waged in the State of Utah. Fifty-three ballots were cast before a choice was made. There were times when the transfer of two votes would have elected the leading candidate. The most powerful and relentless pressure was brought to bear upon Representative Callis, who could neither be intrigued nor coerced to cast his vote against his convictions. This contest was so bitter and the influences employed were so powerful as to test out the moral fiber of every member of the legislature. When these powerful influences concentrated their efforts upon Charles A. Callis they discovered no weak spots. He is sound to the core. Many of his influential constituents were disappointed in the stand which he had taken with reference to the United States senator and he went from the legislature with the impression that his political career was ended, but solaced with the satisfaction that his conscience was clear, that he had followed without wavering the light of his best judgment. His rugged honesty and his unyielding integrity won the confidence of friend and foe. Men who could not control his vote developed a wholesome respect for his integrity. In the representative from Summit County the miners of Utah had a friend. One of Charles A. Callis' first efforts as a legislator was to provide protection for miners and to safeguard their interests. He was instrumental in securing the passage of three measures which have been of practical and permanent value to all coal miners: The first provided for an examining board which was authorized to grant certificates to those who proved their fitness for the duties of mining boss. The second provided that where miners are paid by weight suitable scales should be furnished and the coal weighed at the mine so that any subsequent loss or waste was not charged against the men; and the third, that emergency supplies, including stretchers, blankets, first aid material, etc., should be accessible at every mine where five or more miners were employed. These measures have resulted in saving the lives of many workmen and in adding thousands of dollars to their earnings. Soon after the adjournment of the legislature, at the solicitation of prominent men in Park City who had watched with interest the career of Charles A. Callis, he ran for County attorney and was elected. He had no academic training, little or no knowledge of the law, in fact no technical preparation for a position of this kind. NOW we get a glimpse of the real man, a revelation of the forces that have made him. He resolutely made up his mind to qualify for his new job. A gigantic undertaking but, without hesitation and in the face of the most stubborn and discouraging circumstances, he took up the task. Among his friends was Joseph L. Rawlings, one of the ablest and best trained attorneys in the State of Utah, who mapped out with care a course of study for the newly elected officer. Following this outline Charles Callis made arrangement with the County attorney of Salt Lake County to spend whatever time he could in that office studying procedure under the Utah Statutes. In addition to this he secured the necessary books and went to work and he worked as few men can work. In eleven months thereafter he took the state bar examination. He describes with emotion his impressions and experiences of that eventful day. There were college graduates and men of experience and legal learning all there for examination. Elder Callis felt keenly his handicaps and approached the task with humility and misgivings. To the surprise of the examiners, of himself, and of his friends he made a brilliant showing and passed the examination with distinct credit —in fact he was the only one who received the unanimous vote of the examining board. This was a major achievement. He was now a full-fledged lawyer and for six years served Summit County with distinction as its prosecuting attorney. During his law practice he won the confidence of his associates at the bar, of the judges on the bench, of his clients and of the people. In 1906 he was called to the Southern States Mission and, on the retirement of Ben E. Rich, became president of that Mission, where he remained for a quarter of a century. AS a missionary and as a Mission president he was pre-eminently successful. The reason for this is easy to discover when you know the man. He loves humanity with the passion and patience of a great soul, and at the same time he possesses a sympathy which is deep and boundless. The love of truth and the love of mankind are shining threads that run through the warp of his life. Here he did his major work. During his administration the membership in the Mission multiplied, branches were organized, chapels were erected, prejudice was allayed, confidence was established and the work moved securely forward on all lines. More than four thousand missionaries came and went while he presided. The stimulating contact with this man of conviction and understanding not only quickened their faith and inspired them to finer endeavor but it gave them a loftier conception of their holy religion and planted in their souls a nobler estimate of man. It is a significant thing to touch effectively the lives of other people. This is a supreme human service. It takes a high-powered soul to lift men. The hard lessons of his early life have given him a quality of patience which makes most tasks appear easy. His love for mankind makes intolerance impossible. His faith in his fellows and the certitude of his religious convictions give him a quiet air of confidence and a friendly approach that can come only from such sources. If people speak well of his cause he is quick to express appreciation; if they speak disparagingly he attributes it to a lack of understanding and he takes tactful steps to give them a better understanding. When he assumed the presidency of the Southern States Mission he secured admission to the bar in South Carolina and also in Florida. While he had no time to practise law and preside over a Mission, the fact that he was an accredited lawyer added greatly to his prestige as a minister of the Gospel, and gave him free entree to circles that otherwise he never could have entered. As a result of this he was able to establish cordial relations with governors, mayors, and other men of influence and prominence. He was universally esteemed a Christian gentleman and a distinguished citizen in the South where he lived for many years. President S. O. Bennion, of the First Council of Seventy, said of him: "It is a great pleasure to pay tribute to my esteemed friend and long time associate in the mission field, Charles A. Callis. I know the man and love him. I know the great work he has accomplished and applaud it. "He learned at an early age the art of making friends. This precious gift has been a great help to him in his missionary work. "He is a natural preacher of the gospel and through his faith and humility has enjoyed a rich outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that people everywhere are drawn to the Lord through him. Charles A. Callis will go down in history as one of the great proselyters of the Church. "His contact with the missionaries and his interest in their welfare knit them together in a bond of friendship and brotherly love that will endure as long as life lasts. "Brother Callis' missionary experience, covering nearly thirty years, has eminently qualified him for the great position which he now occupies." In answer to the question — What has been the greatest inspiration in your life? Brother Callis reverently said: "The Lord Jesus Christ has been the greatest inspiration in my life. From my earliest recollections to the present time I have always had an abiding and intense love for my Savior. I cannot read the story of His sufferings and crucifixion without shedding tears. He is my Lord and my God. I know that He lives and that He is the Christ. He is the 'Lord of resurrection and life.' Not only do I regard the manner of our redemption with wonder, awe, and gratitude, but I also have love and affection for the way He redeemed us and bought us with His precious blood." In paying tribute to his wife he said, among other things: 'A prudent wife is a blessing from the Lord.' "Sister Callis has conquered difficulties by patience, love, and an unwavering faith in God. During my ministry more than four thousand missionaries reported for duty at the Mission headquarters. She has cared for them when sick and comforted them when sad news of the death of loved ones at home reached them. Well and nobly has she performed her part as a mother and helpmate. "The poet says of the male bird and his mate: 'He sings to the wide world, She sings to her nest, In the ear of sweet nature Which song is the best?' "The assistance Sister Callis has given me can never be measured this side of eternity." In referring to his mother he said with tenderness and emotion: "Throughout my life I have drawn inspiration and strength from the splendid example and teachings of my mother. After the close of the day's work she taught me to read and to write. She was a wise mother, inspiring in all her children the highest ideals of loyalty to church and to state. Her patience, tenderness, devotion and love for her children and her willingness to sacrifice for them are precious to me and hold a sacred place in my memory. Her sublime faith in God and her gentle submission to His will is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to me." CHARLES A. CALLIS is an idealist but uses practical means to accomplish his ends. His life is a monument of faith backed by high and resolute endeavor. He believes that the Creator supplies quarries but that He never cuts stone or builds temples without the use of human hands. "Trust in the Lord and do good * * * and verily thou shalt be fed" is one of the divine precepts by which he lives. Deprived of the advantages of scholastic training he has husbanded with care his time and his energy and has drawn inspiration from the great writers and thinkers of the past and the present. Loveliness and beauty in the written and the spoken word fascinate him. He has constantly cultivated the companionship of great minds and the gallery of his memory is adorned with inspiring scenes in the lives of eminent men and with precious utterances from their lips. This is significant for it is one of the sources of his growth. If we hang beautiful pictures upon memory's walls and live with these long enough we cannot do evil. Charles A. Callis has a great soul and a deep appreciation of the beautiful in life with enough Irish wit to meet any situation. He is teachable and tolerant with a legal training which gives him a judicial attitude of mind; permeating all of this is an exalted love for mankind and a sublime and settled faith in God. These qualities make an invincible combination. It is this combination which has lifted him out of the desolation of his youth and put into his soul the desire to lift others and the power to do it. The opportunity has come and he will do his work. He stands a fearless champion of truth; a soulful and eloquent exponent of the message of the Master "chosen of God and a friend of man." |
Elder Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve
Mrs. Callis
Charles A. Callis at Age of 20
Grace E. Pack at Age of 21 Before Her Marriage
The Callis family when they went south, 1906. The children are Grace at right and Kathleen in center.
The Callis children
Photo made in Chatanooga, Tenn., 1915. |
"Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve" Improvement Era. February 1947. pg. 78, 125.
CHARLES A. CALLIS of the Council of the Twelve ELDER Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve died January 21, in Jacksonville, Florida, as he was traveling to complete one of the ambitions of his life —the effecting of the organization of a stake of Zion in Florida. According to word received by the First Presidency, the organization of the stake had been completed under the direction of Elder Callis and Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve, as it had been planned, with the exception of one ward in Georgia. They were expecting to accomplish it that night. Elder Callis was riding in the car of Elder A. O. Jenkins, newly installed senior member of the Florida Stake high council. Suddenly Elder Callis ceased talking. Elder Jenkins looked up to see him breathe his last. Attendants at a hospital, within a block of the occurrence, pronounced Elder Callis dead. Charles A. Callis was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 4, 1865. His long life of four-score-years-and-one was about "his Father's business." The Biblical injunction to be mindful of the widow and the fatherless became a reality early in his life as his father, John, died, leaving his mother, Charlotte Quilham Callis, with a small family. Charles was baptized in Liverpool, England, and the family emigrated to Utah in October 1875. His first mission was during the winter of 1892-93, when he served for five months in Wyoming, which was then a part of Summit Stake. That same year, 1893, he began 'a mission in the British Isles in which he was to serve as president of the Irish conference. Returning to Utah, he became superintendent of the Summit Stake Mutual Improvement Association for nine years. He was a gifted orator, a member of the bar. He made friends easily, and kept them always. But all this was only the preparation for his life's work. In 1902, he married Grace Pack, and the devotion of the two for one another and for the Church, will always be a highlight in the memory of anyone who knew the Callises. Both Elder and Sister Callis were called to the Southern States as missionaries in 1906, and were assigned to labor in Jacksonville, Florida. Here it was that they gathered about twenty men, women, and children, and organized a Sunday School, meeting in a small three room frame house, on stilts. Here it was, in Jacksonville, that Elder Callis, who had attained apostleship, but still was a humble missionary, returned to complete his earthly labors. After filling a mission of some eighteen months, Elder Callis was called directly into the presidency of the Southern States Mission. ALTHOUGH he had no time to practise law, he was admitted to the bar of both the states of Florida and South Carolina. These memberships gave him prestige and enabled him to meet many of the influential men of the South, and in that way alleviated much of the prejudice against the Cause he so ably represented. It was at the semi-annual general conference of the Church in October 1933 that Elder Callis was first sustained as a member of the Council of the Twelve. But he needed no introduction to the Church. There wasn't a ward, arid probably not a neighborhood, who at some time during his administration in the Southern States, hadn't sent Elder Callis a gangling boy as a missionary, and received back, after the mission term, a man in every sense of the word, fully equipped to take his place in the community and Church life at home. He was released as a mission president in February 1934. It has been estimated that there were three thousand missionaries in the Southern States while he presided. During his thirteen years as one of the General Authorities, Elder Callis saw the Church grow to a point where stakes were organized in the missions to list several—in California with Gridley and Sacramento in 1934—in the Eastern States with New York in 1934—in the Hawaiian Islands with Oahu in 1935; Chicago Stake from the Northern States Mission in 1936; Seattle and Portland stakes from the Northwestern States in 1938; Washington Stake from the Eastern States in 1940; Denver Stake from the Western States in 1941; and in 1947 he received the coveted assignment to return to his own mission and organize a stake. He left Salt Lake City for Florida January 9, telling his associates at the Church Administration Building that he was "going home." He loved the common man—and wherever he went he found them. And their problems became his problems. Much of his mail came from friends he had made as a mission president who were seeking his advice in personal problems. He always marveled at the different places in the Church where he found his former missionaries, and what they would do for him. The Saints that he had known in the mission field were the same way. One of the women who used to be his secretary at the Church offices recalled that as regularly as one wore out, he received a new hat from a humble member in the Southern States. His sermons sparkled with personal experiences from the mission field and betrayed his hobby of collecting and memorizing thoughts of literature from the world's great minds. His monument will always be the stake in Florida—Florida Stake — one hundred sixty-three in the roll call of stakes, because it is there that he labored so long and came to know his people—the common people—so well. Surviving him are a son, five daughters, and two sisters. Sister Callis passed away last October 12. Well attended funeral services were held for Elder Callis at both Jacksonville, Florida, and in Salt Lake City. |
Charles A. Callis
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Widtsoe, John A. "Editorial: Charles A. Callis." Improvement Era. March 1947. pg. 160.
Charles A. Callis
THE voice of Charles A. Callis is stilled among mortal men; but it echoes over the Southern States, and in the hearts of all, everywhere, who heard his eloquent defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Paul, whom he admired, he bore witness of his faith, unafraid, before men of high or low degree. The truth he thus sowed drove prejudice from men's souls and laid opposition in the dust. He made it easier for us to proselyte for the latter-day kingdom of God.
Thousands who heard his voice were pricked in their hearts and sought peace in the waters of baptism. They became as members of his family, and as such he received them. As the waves of life moved upon them, they rejoiced or sorrowed together, and they shared the most sacred experience of their new life with him. He became their mentor, their inspirer, their beloved leader.
Thousands of soldiers in the army of Christ, missionaries sent out to preach the gospel of life and salvation, mostly young men and women, passed under his hands. He was their general—but such a general! Each one was to him as a son or daughter. He took the place for a time of the parents at home. Surely there was work to be done, industriously and under necessary discipline; but it must be made to contribute to the welfare of each worker. This host of his missionaries became another family in whose successes he took a proud delight.
He had loyal help, whether as missionary, mission president, or apostle. His intelligent, devoted, loving wife, carried silently but deftly and efficiently many of his burdens. It was teamwork of the highest order for the common cause of the Lord. After her death, shortly before his own passing, he said, "After the day's work, when returning to my home, I would invariably call, 'Grace, Grace, where are you?' Now she is not there to meet me; I miss her most."
Charles A. Callis, faithful, powerful servant in the Lord's cause, was loved and blessed by the Lord. He was taken home while among the people of the South, whom he loved; and his passing was without preceding pain. He died literally in the harness, for as usual he was engaged in God's work. The first stake in the South had been organized. "Grace" was his last spoken word, as he leaned back in the automobile with a sigh, and entered the greater realm of life. Grace was there to meet him! From the throne of God through the corridors of heaven came the divine reward, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."—J. A. W.
Charles A. Callis
THE voice of Charles A. Callis is stilled among mortal men; but it echoes over the Southern States, and in the hearts of all, everywhere, who heard his eloquent defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Paul, whom he admired, he bore witness of his faith, unafraid, before men of high or low degree. The truth he thus sowed drove prejudice from men's souls and laid opposition in the dust. He made it easier for us to proselyte for the latter-day kingdom of God.
Thousands who heard his voice were pricked in their hearts and sought peace in the waters of baptism. They became as members of his family, and as such he received them. As the waves of life moved upon them, they rejoiced or sorrowed together, and they shared the most sacred experience of their new life with him. He became their mentor, their inspirer, their beloved leader.
Thousands of soldiers in the army of Christ, missionaries sent out to preach the gospel of life and salvation, mostly young men and women, passed under his hands. He was their general—but such a general! Each one was to him as a son or daughter. He took the place for a time of the parents at home. Surely there was work to be done, industriously and under necessary discipline; but it must be made to contribute to the welfare of each worker. This host of his missionaries became another family in whose successes he took a proud delight.
He had loyal help, whether as missionary, mission president, or apostle. His intelligent, devoted, loving wife, carried silently but deftly and efficiently many of his burdens. It was teamwork of the highest order for the common cause of the Lord. After her death, shortly before his own passing, he said, "After the day's work, when returning to my home, I would invariably call, 'Grace, Grace, where are you?' Now she is not there to meet me; I miss her most."
Charles A. Callis, faithful, powerful servant in the Lord's cause, was loved and blessed by the Lord. He was taken home while among the people of the South, whom he loved; and his passing was without preceding pain. He died literally in the harness, for as usual he was engaged in God's work. The first stake in the South had been organized. "Grace" was his last spoken word, as he leaned back in the automobile with a sigh, and entered the greater realm of life. Grace was there to meet him! From the throne of God through the corridors of heaven came the divine reward, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."—J. A. W.
Nibley, Preston. "Elder Charles A. Callis" Relief Society Magazine. March 1947. pg. 155.
Elder Charles A. Callis Preston Nibley FOR almost ten years I enjoyed an intimate personal acquaintanceship with Elder Charles A. Callis. During the past five years we have lived under the same roof, at the Belvedere Apartment, in Salt Lake City, and I have seen him and visited with him two or three times each week. It was his custom to walk out in the evening, for relaxation and exercise, and on these occasions he invited me to accompany him. In his death I have suffered the loss of a true friend and a most agreeable and pleasant companion. If the life of Elder Charles A. Callis were written, it would read like a romance. He was born under poor circumstances, at Dublin, Ireland, on May 4, 1865, the son of John- Callis and Susannah Charlotte Quilliam. His father died when the boy was a child, and the responsibility of rearing a family was left to the widowed mother. In order to better her circumstances, she moved to Liverpool, England. It was there, a short time later, that she heard the gospel and joined the Church. Charles was baptized at Liverpool when he was eight years old. Two years later the family emigrated and moved to Bountiful. Later, they acquired property in Coalville, Summit County, and there young Charles grew to manhood. While he worked in a coal mine to support his widowed mother, he also read books and acquired a knowledge of law. He was admitted to the bar, and served as city attorney of Coalville and county attorney of Summit County. In 1902, when he was thirty-seven years old, Charles A. Callis was married to Grace Pack, daughter of Ward E. Pack of Coalville. In 1906 they went on a mission together to the Southern States. Two years later he was made president of the mission and, together, they served for twenty-five years, until Elder Callis was called to be an apostle in October 1933. Brother and Sister Callis were the parents of eight children, six of whom, five daughters and one son, are now living. In the organization of the first stake in the Southern States he realized the ambition of a lifetime. He had finished his work. He passed away without illness, among the saints of the Southland, where he and his beloved wife had labored so faithfully and so long. |
Elder Charles A. Callis
|
Bennion, Milton. "Apostle Charles A. Callis." Instructor. April 1947. pg. 157.
Apostle Charles A. Callis The Instructor pays tribute this month to a great missionary and helpful friend of the Sunday Schools. Throughout his long term as president of the Southern States Mission he promoted Sunday Schools wherever possible, not only as a means of instruction of converts to the Church, but also as a means of friendly association with neighbors who were not members. Where converts in any locality were not numerous enough to organize a branch he advised establishing a home Sunday School. Children of the neighborhood, with their parents' consent, were invited to become regular attendants at the Latter-day Saint Sunday School; in this way they became acquainted with the restored gospel. This friendly association of neighbors commonly broke down prejudice, where it existed, and opened the way for fair presentation of the gospel to parents as well as to their children. Brother Callis found this one of the most effective means of carrying on the missionary work of the Church. After his appointment as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Callis in touring the missions continued his activities in behalf of Sunday Schools and took great satisfaction in observing how often a Sunday School begun under most humble circumstances had grown into a thriving branch of the Church. In the Southern States Mission the Sunday School work has been fostered by all the successors of Elder Callis. It is recently reported that there are in the mission 109 Sunday Schools, with a membership of 6,340; this notwithstanding the fact that the geographical area of the mission has been greatly reduced by creation of new missions in territory once included in the mission presided over by Elder Callis. In his visits to organized stakes whenever he learned of families that lived too far from a ward meeting house to be regular attendants there he recommended that these isolated members establish a home Sunday School, even though it might be for one family only; thus his great missionary work has gone on and may continue to do so without limit. In all of Elder Callis's church work and his association with his fellow men he was noted for his sympathy for the most humble members of the community, especially the underprivileged and the unfortunate. He was also, notwithstanding his advanced years, open minded toward newly discovered truth and sympathetic with the problems of the younger generation —a most sincere friend of youth who have need of sympathetic understanding on the part of their elders. —Milton Bennion |
Charles A. Callis
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world….” –Matthew 24:14
preached in all the world….” –Matthew 24:14
Ordained: 12 October 1933 at age 68 by Heber J. Grant
Biography
Charles "Charlie" Albert Callis was born 4 May 1865 in Dublin, Ireland to John Callis and Susannah Charlotte Quilliam. His father died when he was still young and his widowed mother moved with him and his three siblings to Liverpool, England where Charlie heard the gospel and was baptized, together with his family, when he was eight years old. The family moved to Utah in October 1875 when Charlie was ten, funded by the Perpetual Emigration Fund, eventually settling in Coalville.
Of his childhood, he related the following experience:
When President Joseph F. Smith was presiding over the European mission, I was a little child. I was very sick, so sick that the doctors had given me up; they had told mother there was no hope for me; but she was filled with faith; she sent for President Smith. He came and laid his hands upon my head and blessed me, and promised mother that I should live, and by the goodness of God I am here today—the desires of my heart being that I may be of some little use in the kingdom of God. (Callis 1910, 78)
He was close to his mother and praised her with the following language:
Throughout my life I have drawn inspiration and strength from the splendid example and teachings of my mother. After the close of the day's work she taught me to read and to write. She was a wise mother, inspiring in all her children the highest ideals of loyalty to church and to state. Her patience, tenderness, devotion and love for her children and her willingness to sacrifice for them are precious to me and hold a sacred place in my memory. Her sublime faith in God and her gentle submission to His will is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to me. (Hinckley 1934, 435)
For fifteen years of his young adulthood, Charlie worked twelve hour shifts in the coal mine to support his widowed mother. He was also elected Coalville constable. Then, in 1891, he won a seat on the Coalville City Council.
In the winter of 1892, Charlie was called on a five month mission to Wyoming. Then in 1893, he was called on another mission, this time to Great Britain, where he acted as president of the Irish Conference.
Upon his return to Utah, he was called to serve as the Stake Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA) superintendent of the Summit Stake. He served in this capacity for nine years. During his time as YMMIA superintendent, he had difficulty getting reliable leaders organized in Echo, which is located down the canyon from Coalville. He had no mode of transportation to reach it, but instead of giving up, he walked the ten mile journey every week to give lessons and conduct the meetings.
In 1896, he was elected a member of the first Utah state legislature. This was a big deal because senators were elected by the state legislature and that first battle for the Utah State Senate was a bitter one. Many people tried to pressure Representative Callis to vote for a certain candidate, but he could be neither intrigued nor coerced. He voted for precisely who he felt would do the best job. He left the legislature thinking his political career was at an end, because of his unpopular votes in the senate race. He, however, won the respect of every politician for his unshakable integrity. He also legislated for better conditions for the miners, of which he had been one.
Shortly thereafter, in 1898, he ran for county attorney and won, despite having little or no knowledge of the law and no technical preparation for a position of that kind. People's confidence in his integrity was simply so high, that they elected him anyway. With the help of his friend Joseph L. Rawlings, one of the best-trained attorneys in Utah, Charlie mapped out a course of study to help him to be fit enough to serve in his post. He spent his free time studying procedure under the Utah Statutes, and acquired the necessary books to learn all he needed to. Eleven months later he took the state bar exam and passed with distinction.
He married Grace Elizabeth Pack on 31 September 1902. The two of them had eight children.
In 1906, Elder Callis and his wife were called on a mission to the Southern States, where they served in Jacksonville, Florida. Two years later, and shortly after his release as a missionary, he was called to serve as President of the Southern States Mission. Although he had no time to practice law, he was admitted to the bar in South Carolina and Florida, which gave him the prestige needed to do missionary work he otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. His wife served as president of the Relief Societies in the Southern States for nineteen years.
His tenure as Mission President was not what one could consider peaceful. The southern states at that time were full of anti-Mormon sentiment and some missionaries were subjected to whippings, tarring and feathering, and forcible ejection from communities.
President Callis strove to make the South safer for missionaries and members by using his legal skill to improve the image of the Church. In 1907, for example, while serving as a missionary in Florida, Elder Callis defended a falsely accused Elder in court and succeeded in exonerating him and cultivating a spirit of good will. A few years later, after an incident in Florida, where two Elders had been kidnapped and whipped, President Callis met with the governor and secured his promise to try the citizens who had committed the crime. He was also in a case of two Elders falsely accused of attempted murder who were prepared to stand before a prejudiced jury with false witnesses. The judge sympathized with the prejudiced situation and ruled to delay the trial six months on the appeal of President Callis, who was also prepared to represent the two unfortunate missionaries. The case was eventually dismissed.
Another of his innovations was to secure what he called a "gospel tent." The missionaries had had some limited success in the country traveling without purse or scrip, but they were often arrested for vagrancy in the cities using the same techniques. Since the Church wasn't strong enough in the cities to justify the purchase of a building, President Callis set up a traveling tent where the members in the area would meet. The tent held about 200 people on hard benches, but it helped to establish the Church in areas that had never seen success previously.
His advice to the missionaries typically consisted of a charge to be frugal, and encouragement to spend at least four to five hours a day tracting.
On 6 October 1933, Elder Callis was chosen to fill a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve. He was ordained eight days later by President Heber J. Grant. He was well-known to the general membership of the Church, since so many had sent brothers, husbands and sons on missions to the Southern States. It was estimated that he presided over a total of three thousand missionaries during his tenure as Mission President.
At the time of his calling, he said:
Brethren and sisters, I stand before you in the depths of humility. I did not receive an inkling that my name would be presented this morning, and I feel one of the weakest of God's creatures.
The first miraculous manifestation I received when I was a youth was through President Heber J. Grant when he delivered a sermon in Coalville in the Summit Stake of Zion. The President, whom I dearly love, has always made a profound impression upon me in my life. I love all of the General Authorities of the Church. I know that they are men of God. I know, too, as sure as I stand here that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I know by the same power that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I am in absolute harmony with all that the General Authorities of the Church have done.
Brethren and sisters, I desire to spend my time in your service. God help me to always be faithful and humble, and to always love his people and his work... (Callis 1933, 10-11)
He was finally released from his calling as President of the Southern States Mission in February 1934 after serving for over 25 years in this capacity.
In 1940, Elder Callis was sent to Hawaii on Church business. That occasion made such a deep impression, that he told of the following experiences at the following general conference:
A little over a month ago I was honored by the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve with an appointment to visit the Oahu Stake and the Hawaiian Mission and the Japanese Mission in Hawaii. It was one of the finest missionary journeys I have ever had. …
Before I left the Islands I felt a strong urge to visit those stricken people—the lepers—on the Island of Molokai. The only way to reach that place then was by airplane. I had never been in one of these machines but my wife, who accompanied me, urged me to try the plane. …. When we arrived on the island a delegation of those afflicted people was there to welcome us with songs. The officer said to me as I approached them "Go no closer." …
Irrespective of creed they came to the services. I spoke to them about the resurrection and of the love God had for them, and in the course of my address I quoted the immortal words of Jesus, which should ring in the hearts of every man and woman in the world: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
At the close of my remarks a brother, who was presiding over the meeting, the Justice of the Peace, himself a leper, arose and made a response which for eloquence I have never heard surpassed. It was the eloquence that comes from the heart, not from the lips. He said, "Apostle Callis, we could not go to Honolulu to attend that big Conference, but you have come to us and you have fed us; you have come to the least of your brethren, and inasmuch as you have done it unto us, you have done it unto the Lord Jesus Christ." And he continued, "We are happy. We cannot greet you with a handshake. Some of us have received the Gospel since we were on this island, and the joy and the comfort we receive from the Gospel has more than compensated us for our affliction, our infirmities. God will bless you, Brother Callis, for coming to the least of these your brethren." He closed the meeting while my tears were fast falling, and then to think though I loved this people, I had to pass through them while they withdrew to one side; could not touch them, could not shake hands with them. Oh, brethren and sisters, how blessed we are! It seems to me that God in Heaven is preparing a house for His afflicted children, a resurrected body, the glories of which have not entered into their minds to conceive. (Callis 1940, 88-90)
As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Callis gave a series of radio lectures in 1943, which he published in book form in 1945, entitled Fundamentals of Religion.
On 12 October 1946, his wife, Grace, passed away. Elder Callis was devastated and spoke of her often, feeling her presence with him. He said, "After the day's work, when returning to my home, I would invariably call, 'Grace, Grace, where are you?' Now she is not there to meet me; I miss her most." (Widtsoe 1947, 160)
Elder Charles A. Callis died of a massive heart attack 21 January 1947 at age 81. At the time of his death, he was traveling in Jacksonville, Florida to witness the organization of the first stake in Florida, one of his lifetime ambitions. He and Elder Harold B. Lee organized the stake that day with the exception of a single ward in Georgia, which they were planning on doing that evening. Elder Callis died on the car ride to Georgia. His last spoken word was his deceased wife's name: "Grace."
Quotes
Elder Callis’ conference talks were often short, pointed, and scattered with short, easily recognizable quotes from hymns, well-known scriptures, or well-known quotes from other sources. He sometimes used these quotes to make the statements he wanted to make and didn’t comment in addition.
Some of his favorite topics were missionary work, Joseph Smith’s prediction of the Civil War, life after death, the blessings of affliction, The Book of Mormon, and the millennium. He also loved to share experiences he had had while serving as Mission President in the Southern States Mission.
His final testimony was as follows:
The spirit and the main purpose of the Book of Mormon is
“... to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” (Book of Mormon, Title Page.)
May I humbly answer to this glorious declaration by testifying that I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is the resurrection and the life, the author and the finisher of our faith, and if we will obey his commandments, this nation shall prosper and with him all of us shall go into eternal glory, is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (Callis 1946, 47)
Elder Callis also had a strong testimony of the divine callings of all general authorities. A few examples are as follows:
As I listened to President Grant, President Penrose and President Ivins I thought of the splendid lives of these men. What a great blessing to the people of the world and especially to the Latter-day Saints they are and have been.
And the same may be truthfully said of all the leaders of the Church both past and present, and it will be said of those who will follow. (Callis 1922, 157)
I love President George Albert Smith, a friend of man. You cannot associate with him without being impressed with a Christlike feeling. I love President J. Rueben Clark, Jr., a wise counselor, a statesman, and a man devoted to the work of God. I love President David O. McKay, a Christian gentleman, made by his religion, filled with the spirit of godliness and desirous of helping the children of God. (Callis 1946, 147)
It was a common practice of that era to invite the mission presidents present to speak in general conference. President Callis spoke at nearly every general conference from the time he was called as Mission President of the Southern States Mission. After serving in this capacity for so long, it comes as no surprise that he had a strong testimony of missionary work.
Now, my brethren and sisters, the mission of this Church is to preach the gospel, to awaken in the hearts of men and women the spirit of repentance. Indeed, so important is this, that God has said: "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation." The gospel is "God's last warning" to men, and your sons and your daughters are boldly, bravely and grandly proclaiming the mission to bring to pass the purposes of God. (Callis 1916, 109-110)
He sometimes spoke generally about the state of the Southern States Mission. The following are a few telling examples of the state of the mission.
We bring you cheering news from the mission field. Your sons are bearing aloft the royal standard of the Gospel in a creditable manner. People marvel at the influence which these young men wield, but they forget that a life of unselfishness and love and devotion to duty not only strengthens us with our people, but magnifies us in the eyes of those who are not of our faith, and in building up each other, we are only building up ourselves. (Callis 1908, 106)
Last year there were baptized into the Church, in the Southern States Mission, 842 souls. Many of the people in the beautiful south land are rejoicing in the work of God. School houses and churches are being thrown open to the elders, and people are calling for the messengers of life and salvation. We cannot furnish elders enough so that all may hear the glad tidings of great joy. Thus, you see, there is a great work mapped out for the members of this Church to equip themselves for the important mission to preach the gospel unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people. (Callis 1909, 16)
He often told stories and related experiences he had had in the mission field. The following are some of the stories he told:
Not long ago I stood on the streets of Ohio assisting a young elder to hold an open-air meeting. As that boy, 20 years old, stood before that vast congregation, preaching the Gospel, with the love of God and innocence stamped upon his features, the tears flowed from my eyes, and I said to myself, would to God that his father and mother could look upon their son at this moment. (Callis 1915, 108)
Brethren and sisters, your sons and your daughters in the world are proclaiming the message of life and salvation, and they are proclaiming it in the spirit of the Christ. Recently two elders in the Southern States mission, while delivering their message, were taken from the home in which they were preaching, by a mob of about forty men. Into the woods they were taken, and the mob declared that they had brought them there to punish them. One of the elders said to those hard-hearted and cruel men: "My companion is not well. He is sick. The punishment you are going to give him, give to me. I am willing to bear what you are going to do to him.["] These noble words and Christ-like spirit softened the fury of the mob to some extent. The elder bore part of his companion's burden. Woe, woe, to those men who persecute the servants of God. They are under the displeasure of him who said: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." (Callis 1924, 20)
One day during the summer, while attending a conference in the most southerly part of the mission, I offered the elders a week's rest because of the intense heat. I was a little surprised at the unwelcome spirit in which my offer was received. The district president spoke up and said: "Brother Callis, we would rather keep on working. We have the spirit of our work, and are afraid that we would lose it if we took a vacation." That is the spirit of the missionaries in the South. Deeply imbedded in their hearts is the glorious truth contained in the Book of Mormon, that when ye are in the service of your fellowmen, ye are in the service of your God. (Callis 1927, 31)
A young man, living near Salt Lake City, left for a mission in the Southern States a few years ago. Before he left he said to his mother: "If I do not receive a testimony before I have been in the mission one month, I am going to return home." The mother sweetly answered: "My son, you have a testimony. My prayers will ascend unto God that you will be made conscious of that testimony before you have been in the mission field a month." The young man was put to labor in the Georgia conference. Three weeks after he arrived there, he and his companion were chased by a mob of angry men. The elders discarded their mission grips. They found that their coats impeded their flight, and they threw them aside; but when they had outdistanced their pursuers this young man who had told his mother he would return home within a month if he did not receive a testimony of the truth of the Gospel, shook his fist in the direction of the mob and said: "I know this Gospel is true." But it took a mob to make him conscious of his testimony.—"Sweet are the uses of adversity." (Callis 1929, 23)
A few days ago I received a telegram from a bishop in Zion stating that an elder's mother had died, and he desired that I should break the sad news to the young man. I took the young man to dinner; told him of the hardships, the griefs and the sorrows that had come to many missionaries. When I thought I had him at least partly prepared to hear the sad news, I said: "My son, your mother has passed away." He wept as only missionaries can do, laboring under that great sorrow, and I wept with him. His mother, on her death-bed, had made the request that her son fill his mission. The young missionary said: "Don't be too kind to me. I am afraid I will get homesick. I am going to fulfil my mother's wishes." (Callis 1929, 23)
Recently a married man came into the Mission. After he had labored for three or four months he received the sorrowful news that his only child, about two years old, had died. The bishop comforted the grief-stricken mother and told her that if it would help her to bear her grief he would send for her husband. But she replied, "No, bishop. Ever since we have been married I have prayed and worked and saved in order that my husband could fill a mission, and if he were to come home now the happiness he would bring me would not equal the joy that fills my heart because he is preaching the everlasting Gospel."
Such a spirit, brethren and sisters, is unconquerable. It is invincible. And in that spirit of sacrifice, devotion and self-denial this glorious Gospel is being preached. (Callis 1931, 107)
Elder Callis sincerely believed that affliction had a sanctifying effect on the people.
"Sweet are the uses of adversity." I believe in this too often overlooked truth. Blessings ought not to be wasted: neither should troubles. Oh, if we had had the foresight to have prepared for the defense of this country when we were in the midst of the depression! Men could then have been trained as mechanics. They could have been employed in erecting our defenses. Instead of spending the billions of dollars in ways that probably have not brought the greatest good, work could have been provided for millions of workers who would have been glad to work. There might not have been any war in Europe if this had been done. (Callis 1941, 42)
We are told that when the Jaredites in their barges set forth for this land of promise, fierce and terrible tempests prevailed. The winds blew and they were in imminent danger all the while on that perilous journey. God sustained them. And we read that although these gales and tempests raged, holding destruction in their wake, that the wind was continually blowing toward the Promised Land. And these adversities through which we are passing, these terrible wars and all the horrible things that are prevailing, are in the power of God. He can stop them when He chooses, when His divine purposes are fulfilled. But let us not forget that through this sea of trouble, our adversities, the experiences through which we pass and which God will make work together for our good, if we will obey Him—all these are blowing us forward to the haven of rest, to a glorious future, to eternal life, and unitedly we join in John's loving response "...even so, come Lord Jesus." (Callis 1943, 62)
The brethren also saw the coming of World War II. Before the United States became involved in the war, Elder Callis gave the following comforting words.
Wars may come, and they will go. … this Church is consecrated to the task of preaching the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. We have scarcely scratched the surface. Where we are baptizing one today, in the not distant future we are going to baptize fifty, aye, a hundred, for God's purposes are sure to be fulfilled. He does not delight in the death of the wicked. He loves His children and through His servants, He is pleading with them to come to the light, which results in obedience to Him. (Callis 1940, 118)
Even though he was born on another continent, Elder Callis loved his adopted country with all his heart. He was a patriot.
If America falls, we will be the ones who have robbed ourselves of our glorious heritage, but I am not afraid that this republic will fall. I believe the Constitution is going to endure until the King of Kings comes in glory. He shall reign over the earth, from the rivers to the ends of the earth. The Book of Mormon is filled with divine prophecies, and divine promises to this American nation….
I am not afraid of any dictator coming over and conquering us. I cherish, in the fondest and deepest faith, the belief that the Star Spangled Banner shall reign over this land, and that no alien flag shall ever be permitted to be the "abomination and desolation" in free America. But all that depends upon the people serving Jesus Christ, who is the God of the land. If we serve Him—and here is our glorious opportunity—He will fortify us against all nations, and though the world combine in arms and attempt to invade us, every true American will meet them in battle array and send them back in the confusion of retreat, for when God is with us, who can be against us? (Callis 1941, 84-85)
Elder Callis sincerely believed the millennium was near. He prayed for Christ to speed his second coming and believed in all the signs of the last days.
We are on the threshold of remarkable events. If God, centuries ago, could incline the hearts of the people to seek him so that they had no disposition to do evil, why cannot he do that today? The inhabitants of the earth are his children, and God loves mercy more than judgment. I believe that we are entering upon an era of conversion so great that the human mind cannot conceive its magnitude. We are told in holy writ that every knee must bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. With all my heart I believe that divine prediction will come true, for Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. (Callis 1945, 81)
His strong testimony came out with many of his quotes.
I desire to praise the Lord all the days of my life. I love God; I love my brethren; I love the people of the Lord; for they are the best people on the face of the earth.
"I'll praise my Maker, while I've breath.
And when my voice is lost in death
Praise shall employ my noblest powers,
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
While life and thought and being last
Or immortality endures." (Callis 1915, 109)
At the time of his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the following was said of him in The Improvement Era.
Charles A. Callis has a great soul and a deep appreciation of the beautiful in life with enough Irish wit to meet any situation. He is teachable and tolerant with a legal training which gives him a judicial attitude of mind; permeating all of this is an exalted love of mankind and a sublime and settled faith in God. These qualities make an invincible combination. It is this combination which has lifted him out of the desolation of his youth and put into his soul the desire to lift others and the power to do it. (Hinckley 1934, 435)
The Instructor had this to say about his character:
In all of Elder Callis's church work and his association with his fellow men he was noted for his sympathy for the most humble members of the community, especially the underprivileged and the unfortunate. He was also, notwithstanding his advanced years, open minded toward newly discovered truth and sympathetic with the problems of the younger generation—a most sincere friend of youth who have need of sympathetic understanding on the part of their elders. (Bennion 1947, 157)
The Relief Society Magazine also published an article about his character.
Elder Callis has been a great soldier of righteousness, true to God and a fragrance in the path he has traveled. He loves the beautiful in human life and in the great creations of God. He is tolerant to those who do not share the same beliefs as he does. He has a keen sense of humor and is always ready to listen to a good wholesome story, and at the same time, is ready to tell one. He is very charitable to all and will take time to listen to their stories and troubles. He never sees failure, "because the golden sun of ambition is always shining in his face, blinding his eyes to the impossibilities. He doesn't heed the warnings of discouragements, because higher and clearer than the little noises of the little people he hears the call of success. He must be what he is. He's filled with the mightiest message given to man—he has been touched with the God-Spark that blazes into achievement." He is a man of God, a lovable companion, a true friend worthy the confidence of all. (Joseph Quinney 1933, 663)
Conclusion
What kind of man was Charles A. Callis? He was a hard-working man, laboring for years in the coal mines. He was an ambitious man, which allowed him to become a lawyer without attending law school. He was an intelligent man. He was an obedient and faith-filled man. He was the father of a large group of missionaries. He was an ardent and motivated missionary himself.
He believed in the promises of the Lord, despite dire situations. He had a clear vision of the present’s role in the future. He gloried in the spiritual experiences he had and loved to share them with others.
Bennett, Richard E. 1981. "Elder Charles A. Callis: Twentieth-Century Missionary." Ensign, April. Accessed November 14, 2014. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1981/04/elder-charles-a-callis-twentieth-century-missionary?lang=eng.
Bennion, Milton. 1947. "Apostle Charles A. Callis." The Instructor, April: 157.
Callis, Charles A. 1908. Seventy-Ninth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 104-107.
—. 1909. The 79th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 16-19.
—. 1910. Eightieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 75-79.
—. 1915. Eighty-fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 106-109.
—. 1916. Eighty-sixth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 108-110.
—. 1922. Ninety-Third Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 156-158.
—. 1924. Ninety-Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 19-20.
—. 1927. Ninety-Eighth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 30-32.
—. 1929. Ninety-Ninth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 23-24.
—. 1931. One-Hundred and First Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 106-107.
—. 1933. One Hundred Fourth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 10-11.
—. 1940. One Hundred Tenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 88-90.
—. 1940. One Hundred Eleventh Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 117-119.
—. 1941. One Hundred Eleventh Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 41-43.
—. 1941. One Hundred Twelfth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 82-85.
—. 1943. One Hundred Thirteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 60-62.
—. 1945. One Hundred Sixteenth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 80-83.
—. 1946. One Hundred Sixteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 146-149.
—. 1946. One Hundred Seventeenth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 44-47.
—. 1942. "Baliff, Adjourn the Court." The Improvement Era, February: 75, 123.
—. 1942. "The Gospel Tent Campaign." The Improvement Era, September: 558, 601.
2003. Church History in the Fulness of Times, Student Manual. Salt Lake City: Church Educational System Curriculum.
Hinckley, Bryant S. 1934. "Charles A. Callis." The Improvement Era, July: 387-389, 435.
Jenson, Andrew. 1936. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson Memorial Association.
Joseph Quinney, Jr. 1933. „Apostle Charles A. Callis.“ The Relief Society Magazine, November: 661-663.
Nibley, Preston. 1947. "Elder Charles A. Callis." The Relief Society Magazine, March: 155.
The Improvement Era. 1947. "Charles A. Callis." February: 78, 125.
Widtsoe, John A. 1947. "Editorial: Charles A. Callis." The Improvement Era, March: 160.
Biography
Charles "Charlie" Albert Callis was born 4 May 1865 in Dublin, Ireland to John Callis and Susannah Charlotte Quilliam. His father died when he was still young and his widowed mother moved with him and his three siblings to Liverpool, England where Charlie heard the gospel and was baptized, together with his family, when he was eight years old. The family moved to Utah in October 1875 when Charlie was ten, funded by the Perpetual Emigration Fund, eventually settling in Coalville.
Of his childhood, he related the following experience:
When President Joseph F. Smith was presiding over the European mission, I was a little child. I was very sick, so sick that the doctors had given me up; they had told mother there was no hope for me; but she was filled with faith; she sent for President Smith. He came and laid his hands upon my head and blessed me, and promised mother that I should live, and by the goodness of God I am here today—the desires of my heart being that I may be of some little use in the kingdom of God. (Callis 1910, 78)
He was close to his mother and praised her with the following language:
Throughout my life I have drawn inspiration and strength from the splendid example and teachings of my mother. After the close of the day's work she taught me to read and to write. She was a wise mother, inspiring in all her children the highest ideals of loyalty to church and to state. Her patience, tenderness, devotion and love for her children and her willingness to sacrifice for them are precious to me and hold a sacred place in my memory. Her sublime faith in God and her gentle submission to His will is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement to me. (Hinckley 1934, 435)
For fifteen years of his young adulthood, Charlie worked twelve hour shifts in the coal mine to support his widowed mother. He was also elected Coalville constable. Then, in 1891, he won a seat on the Coalville City Council.
In the winter of 1892, Charlie was called on a five month mission to Wyoming. Then in 1893, he was called on another mission, this time to Great Britain, where he acted as president of the Irish Conference.
Upon his return to Utah, he was called to serve as the Stake Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA) superintendent of the Summit Stake. He served in this capacity for nine years. During his time as YMMIA superintendent, he had difficulty getting reliable leaders organized in Echo, which is located down the canyon from Coalville. He had no mode of transportation to reach it, but instead of giving up, he walked the ten mile journey every week to give lessons and conduct the meetings.
In 1896, he was elected a member of the first Utah state legislature. This was a big deal because senators were elected by the state legislature and that first battle for the Utah State Senate was a bitter one. Many people tried to pressure Representative Callis to vote for a certain candidate, but he could be neither intrigued nor coerced. He voted for precisely who he felt would do the best job. He left the legislature thinking his political career was at an end, because of his unpopular votes in the senate race. He, however, won the respect of every politician for his unshakable integrity. He also legislated for better conditions for the miners, of which he had been one.
Shortly thereafter, in 1898, he ran for county attorney and won, despite having little or no knowledge of the law and no technical preparation for a position of that kind. People's confidence in his integrity was simply so high, that they elected him anyway. With the help of his friend Joseph L. Rawlings, one of the best-trained attorneys in Utah, Charlie mapped out a course of study to help him to be fit enough to serve in his post. He spent his free time studying procedure under the Utah Statutes, and acquired the necessary books to learn all he needed to. Eleven months later he took the state bar exam and passed with distinction.
He married Grace Elizabeth Pack on 31 September 1902. The two of them had eight children.
In 1906, Elder Callis and his wife were called on a mission to the Southern States, where they served in Jacksonville, Florida. Two years later, and shortly after his release as a missionary, he was called to serve as President of the Southern States Mission. Although he had no time to practice law, he was admitted to the bar in South Carolina and Florida, which gave him the prestige needed to do missionary work he otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. His wife served as president of the Relief Societies in the Southern States for nineteen years.
His tenure as Mission President was not what one could consider peaceful. The southern states at that time were full of anti-Mormon sentiment and some missionaries were subjected to whippings, tarring and feathering, and forcible ejection from communities.
President Callis strove to make the South safer for missionaries and members by using his legal skill to improve the image of the Church. In 1907, for example, while serving as a missionary in Florida, Elder Callis defended a falsely accused Elder in court and succeeded in exonerating him and cultivating a spirit of good will. A few years later, after an incident in Florida, where two Elders had been kidnapped and whipped, President Callis met with the governor and secured his promise to try the citizens who had committed the crime. He was also in a case of two Elders falsely accused of attempted murder who were prepared to stand before a prejudiced jury with false witnesses. The judge sympathized with the prejudiced situation and ruled to delay the trial six months on the appeal of President Callis, who was also prepared to represent the two unfortunate missionaries. The case was eventually dismissed.
Another of his innovations was to secure what he called a "gospel tent." The missionaries had had some limited success in the country traveling without purse or scrip, but they were often arrested for vagrancy in the cities using the same techniques. Since the Church wasn't strong enough in the cities to justify the purchase of a building, President Callis set up a traveling tent where the members in the area would meet. The tent held about 200 people on hard benches, but it helped to establish the Church in areas that had never seen success previously.
His advice to the missionaries typically consisted of a charge to be frugal, and encouragement to spend at least four to five hours a day tracting.
On 6 October 1933, Elder Callis was chosen to fill a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve. He was ordained eight days later by President Heber J. Grant. He was well-known to the general membership of the Church, since so many had sent brothers, husbands and sons on missions to the Southern States. It was estimated that he presided over a total of three thousand missionaries during his tenure as Mission President.
At the time of his calling, he said:
Brethren and sisters, I stand before you in the depths of humility. I did not receive an inkling that my name would be presented this morning, and I feel one of the weakest of God's creatures.
The first miraculous manifestation I received when I was a youth was through President Heber J. Grant when he delivered a sermon in Coalville in the Summit Stake of Zion. The President, whom I dearly love, has always made a profound impression upon me in my life. I love all of the General Authorities of the Church. I know that they are men of God. I know, too, as sure as I stand here that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I know by the same power that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I am in absolute harmony with all that the General Authorities of the Church have done.
Brethren and sisters, I desire to spend my time in your service. God help me to always be faithful and humble, and to always love his people and his work... (Callis 1933, 10-11)
He was finally released from his calling as President of the Southern States Mission in February 1934 after serving for over 25 years in this capacity.
In 1940, Elder Callis was sent to Hawaii on Church business. That occasion made such a deep impression, that he told of the following experiences at the following general conference:
A little over a month ago I was honored by the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve with an appointment to visit the Oahu Stake and the Hawaiian Mission and the Japanese Mission in Hawaii. It was one of the finest missionary journeys I have ever had. …
Before I left the Islands I felt a strong urge to visit those stricken people—the lepers—on the Island of Molokai. The only way to reach that place then was by airplane. I had never been in one of these machines but my wife, who accompanied me, urged me to try the plane. …. When we arrived on the island a delegation of those afflicted people was there to welcome us with songs. The officer said to me as I approached them "Go no closer." …
Irrespective of creed they came to the services. I spoke to them about the resurrection and of the love God had for them, and in the course of my address I quoted the immortal words of Jesus, which should ring in the hearts of every man and woman in the world: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
At the close of my remarks a brother, who was presiding over the meeting, the Justice of the Peace, himself a leper, arose and made a response which for eloquence I have never heard surpassed. It was the eloquence that comes from the heart, not from the lips. He said, "Apostle Callis, we could not go to Honolulu to attend that big Conference, but you have come to us and you have fed us; you have come to the least of your brethren, and inasmuch as you have done it unto us, you have done it unto the Lord Jesus Christ." And he continued, "We are happy. We cannot greet you with a handshake. Some of us have received the Gospel since we were on this island, and the joy and the comfort we receive from the Gospel has more than compensated us for our affliction, our infirmities. God will bless you, Brother Callis, for coming to the least of these your brethren." He closed the meeting while my tears were fast falling, and then to think though I loved this people, I had to pass through them while they withdrew to one side; could not touch them, could not shake hands with them. Oh, brethren and sisters, how blessed we are! It seems to me that God in Heaven is preparing a house for His afflicted children, a resurrected body, the glories of which have not entered into their minds to conceive. (Callis 1940, 88-90)
As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Callis gave a series of radio lectures in 1943, which he published in book form in 1945, entitled Fundamentals of Religion.
On 12 October 1946, his wife, Grace, passed away. Elder Callis was devastated and spoke of her often, feeling her presence with him. He said, "After the day's work, when returning to my home, I would invariably call, 'Grace, Grace, where are you?' Now she is not there to meet me; I miss her most." (Widtsoe 1947, 160)
Elder Charles A. Callis died of a massive heart attack 21 January 1947 at age 81. At the time of his death, he was traveling in Jacksonville, Florida to witness the organization of the first stake in Florida, one of his lifetime ambitions. He and Elder Harold B. Lee organized the stake that day with the exception of a single ward in Georgia, which they were planning on doing that evening. Elder Callis died on the car ride to Georgia. His last spoken word was his deceased wife's name: "Grace."
Quotes
Elder Callis’ conference talks were often short, pointed, and scattered with short, easily recognizable quotes from hymns, well-known scriptures, or well-known quotes from other sources. He sometimes used these quotes to make the statements he wanted to make and didn’t comment in addition.
Some of his favorite topics were missionary work, Joseph Smith’s prediction of the Civil War, life after death, the blessings of affliction, The Book of Mormon, and the millennium. He also loved to share experiences he had had while serving as Mission President in the Southern States Mission.
His final testimony was as follows:
The spirit and the main purpose of the Book of Mormon is
“... to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.” (Book of Mormon, Title Page.)
May I humbly answer to this glorious declaration by testifying that I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is the resurrection and the life, the author and the finisher of our faith, and if we will obey his commandments, this nation shall prosper and with him all of us shall go into eternal glory, is my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (Callis 1946, 47)
Elder Callis also had a strong testimony of the divine callings of all general authorities. A few examples are as follows:
As I listened to President Grant, President Penrose and President Ivins I thought of the splendid lives of these men. What a great blessing to the people of the world and especially to the Latter-day Saints they are and have been.
And the same may be truthfully said of all the leaders of the Church both past and present, and it will be said of those who will follow. (Callis 1922, 157)
I love President George Albert Smith, a friend of man. You cannot associate with him without being impressed with a Christlike feeling. I love President J. Rueben Clark, Jr., a wise counselor, a statesman, and a man devoted to the work of God. I love President David O. McKay, a Christian gentleman, made by his religion, filled with the spirit of godliness and desirous of helping the children of God. (Callis 1946, 147)
It was a common practice of that era to invite the mission presidents present to speak in general conference. President Callis spoke at nearly every general conference from the time he was called as Mission President of the Southern States Mission. After serving in this capacity for so long, it comes as no surprise that he had a strong testimony of missionary work.
Now, my brethren and sisters, the mission of this Church is to preach the gospel, to awaken in the hearts of men and women the spirit of repentance. Indeed, so important is this, that God has said: "Say nothing but repentance unto this generation." The gospel is "God's last warning" to men, and your sons and your daughters are boldly, bravely and grandly proclaiming the mission to bring to pass the purposes of God. (Callis 1916, 109-110)
He sometimes spoke generally about the state of the Southern States Mission. The following are a few telling examples of the state of the mission.
We bring you cheering news from the mission field. Your sons are bearing aloft the royal standard of the Gospel in a creditable manner. People marvel at the influence which these young men wield, but they forget that a life of unselfishness and love and devotion to duty not only strengthens us with our people, but magnifies us in the eyes of those who are not of our faith, and in building up each other, we are only building up ourselves. (Callis 1908, 106)
Last year there were baptized into the Church, in the Southern States Mission, 842 souls. Many of the people in the beautiful south land are rejoicing in the work of God. School houses and churches are being thrown open to the elders, and people are calling for the messengers of life and salvation. We cannot furnish elders enough so that all may hear the glad tidings of great joy. Thus, you see, there is a great work mapped out for the members of this Church to equip themselves for the important mission to preach the gospel unto every nation, kindred, tongue and people. (Callis 1909, 16)
He often told stories and related experiences he had had in the mission field. The following are some of the stories he told:
Not long ago I stood on the streets of Ohio assisting a young elder to hold an open-air meeting. As that boy, 20 years old, stood before that vast congregation, preaching the Gospel, with the love of God and innocence stamped upon his features, the tears flowed from my eyes, and I said to myself, would to God that his father and mother could look upon their son at this moment. (Callis 1915, 108)
Brethren and sisters, your sons and your daughters in the world are proclaiming the message of life and salvation, and they are proclaiming it in the spirit of the Christ. Recently two elders in the Southern States mission, while delivering their message, were taken from the home in which they were preaching, by a mob of about forty men. Into the woods they were taken, and the mob declared that they had brought them there to punish them. One of the elders said to those hard-hearted and cruel men: "My companion is not well. He is sick. The punishment you are going to give him, give to me. I am willing to bear what you are going to do to him.["] These noble words and Christ-like spirit softened the fury of the mob to some extent. The elder bore part of his companion's burden. Woe, woe, to those men who persecute the servants of God. They are under the displeasure of him who said: "Vengeance is mine, and I will repay." (Callis 1924, 20)
One day during the summer, while attending a conference in the most southerly part of the mission, I offered the elders a week's rest because of the intense heat. I was a little surprised at the unwelcome spirit in which my offer was received. The district president spoke up and said: "Brother Callis, we would rather keep on working. We have the spirit of our work, and are afraid that we would lose it if we took a vacation." That is the spirit of the missionaries in the South. Deeply imbedded in their hearts is the glorious truth contained in the Book of Mormon, that when ye are in the service of your fellowmen, ye are in the service of your God. (Callis 1927, 31)
A young man, living near Salt Lake City, left for a mission in the Southern States a few years ago. Before he left he said to his mother: "If I do not receive a testimony before I have been in the mission one month, I am going to return home." The mother sweetly answered: "My son, you have a testimony. My prayers will ascend unto God that you will be made conscious of that testimony before you have been in the mission field a month." The young man was put to labor in the Georgia conference. Three weeks after he arrived there, he and his companion were chased by a mob of angry men. The elders discarded their mission grips. They found that their coats impeded their flight, and they threw them aside; but when they had outdistanced their pursuers this young man who had told his mother he would return home within a month if he did not receive a testimony of the truth of the Gospel, shook his fist in the direction of the mob and said: "I know this Gospel is true." But it took a mob to make him conscious of his testimony.—"Sweet are the uses of adversity." (Callis 1929, 23)
A few days ago I received a telegram from a bishop in Zion stating that an elder's mother had died, and he desired that I should break the sad news to the young man. I took the young man to dinner; told him of the hardships, the griefs and the sorrows that had come to many missionaries. When I thought I had him at least partly prepared to hear the sad news, I said: "My son, your mother has passed away." He wept as only missionaries can do, laboring under that great sorrow, and I wept with him. His mother, on her death-bed, had made the request that her son fill his mission. The young missionary said: "Don't be too kind to me. I am afraid I will get homesick. I am going to fulfil my mother's wishes." (Callis 1929, 23)
Recently a married man came into the Mission. After he had labored for three or four months he received the sorrowful news that his only child, about two years old, had died. The bishop comforted the grief-stricken mother and told her that if it would help her to bear her grief he would send for her husband. But she replied, "No, bishop. Ever since we have been married I have prayed and worked and saved in order that my husband could fill a mission, and if he were to come home now the happiness he would bring me would not equal the joy that fills my heart because he is preaching the everlasting Gospel."
Such a spirit, brethren and sisters, is unconquerable. It is invincible. And in that spirit of sacrifice, devotion and self-denial this glorious Gospel is being preached. (Callis 1931, 107)
Elder Callis sincerely believed that affliction had a sanctifying effect on the people.
"Sweet are the uses of adversity." I believe in this too often overlooked truth. Blessings ought not to be wasted: neither should troubles. Oh, if we had had the foresight to have prepared for the defense of this country when we were in the midst of the depression! Men could then have been trained as mechanics. They could have been employed in erecting our defenses. Instead of spending the billions of dollars in ways that probably have not brought the greatest good, work could have been provided for millions of workers who would have been glad to work. There might not have been any war in Europe if this had been done. (Callis 1941, 42)
We are told that when the Jaredites in their barges set forth for this land of promise, fierce and terrible tempests prevailed. The winds blew and they were in imminent danger all the while on that perilous journey. God sustained them. And we read that although these gales and tempests raged, holding destruction in their wake, that the wind was continually blowing toward the Promised Land. And these adversities through which we are passing, these terrible wars and all the horrible things that are prevailing, are in the power of God. He can stop them when He chooses, when His divine purposes are fulfilled. But let us not forget that through this sea of trouble, our adversities, the experiences through which we pass and which God will make work together for our good, if we will obey Him—all these are blowing us forward to the haven of rest, to a glorious future, to eternal life, and unitedly we join in John's loving response "...even so, come Lord Jesus." (Callis 1943, 62)
The brethren also saw the coming of World War II. Before the United States became involved in the war, Elder Callis gave the following comforting words.
Wars may come, and they will go. … this Church is consecrated to the task of preaching the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. We have scarcely scratched the surface. Where we are baptizing one today, in the not distant future we are going to baptize fifty, aye, a hundred, for God's purposes are sure to be fulfilled. He does not delight in the death of the wicked. He loves His children and through His servants, He is pleading with them to come to the light, which results in obedience to Him. (Callis 1940, 118)
Even though he was born on another continent, Elder Callis loved his adopted country with all his heart. He was a patriot.
If America falls, we will be the ones who have robbed ourselves of our glorious heritage, but I am not afraid that this republic will fall. I believe the Constitution is going to endure until the King of Kings comes in glory. He shall reign over the earth, from the rivers to the ends of the earth. The Book of Mormon is filled with divine prophecies, and divine promises to this American nation….
I am not afraid of any dictator coming over and conquering us. I cherish, in the fondest and deepest faith, the belief that the Star Spangled Banner shall reign over this land, and that no alien flag shall ever be permitted to be the "abomination and desolation" in free America. But all that depends upon the people serving Jesus Christ, who is the God of the land. If we serve Him—and here is our glorious opportunity—He will fortify us against all nations, and though the world combine in arms and attempt to invade us, every true American will meet them in battle array and send them back in the confusion of retreat, for when God is with us, who can be against us? (Callis 1941, 84-85)
Elder Callis sincerely believed the millennium was near. He prayed for Christ to speed his second coming and believed in all the signs of the last days.
We are on the threshold of remarkable events. If God, centuries ago, could incline the hearts of the people to seek him so that they had no disposition to do evil, why cannot he do that today? The inhabitants of the earth are his children, and God loves mercy more than judgment. I believe that we are entering upon an era of conversion so great that the human mind cannot conceive its magnitude. We are told in holy writ that every knee must bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. With all my heart I believe that divine prediction will come true, for Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. (Callis 1945, 81)
His strong testimony came out with many of his quotes.
I desire to praise the Lord all the days of my life. I love God; I love my brethren; I love the people of the Lord; for they are the best people on the face of the earth.
"I'll praise my Maker, while I've breath.
And when my voice is lost in death
Praise shall employ my noblest powers,
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
While life and thought and being last
Or immortality endures." (Callis 1915, 109)
At the time of his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the following was said of him in The Improvement Era.
Charles A. Callis has a great soul and a deep appreciation of the beautiful in life with enough Irish wit to meet any situation. He is teachable and tolerant with a legal training which gives him a judicial attitude of mind; permeating all of this is an exalted love of mankind and a sublime and settled faith in God. These qualities make an invincible combination. It is this combination which has lifted him out of the desolation of his youth and put into his soul the desire to lift others and the power to do it. (Hinckley 1934, 435)
The Instructor had this to say about his character:
In all of Elder Callis's church work and his association with his fellow men he was noted for his sympathy for the most humble members of the community, especially the underprivileged and the unfortunate. He was also, notwithstanding his advanced years, open minded toward newly discovered truth and sympathetic with the problems of the younger generation—a most sincere friend of youth who have need of sympathetic understanding on the part of their elders. (Bennion 1947, 157)
The Relief Society Magazine also published an article about his character.
Elder Callis has been a great soldier of righteousness, true to God and a fragrance in the path he has traveled. He loves the beautiful in human life and in the great creations of God. He is tolerant to those who do not share the same beliefs as he does. He has a keen sense of humor and is always ready to listen to a good wholesome story, and at the same time, is ready to tell one. He is very charitable to all and will take time to listen to their stories and troubles. He never sees failure, "because the golden sun of ambition is always shining in his face, blinding his eyes to the impossibilities. He doesn't heed the warnings of discouragements, because higher and clearer than the little noises of the little people he hears the call of success. He must be what he is. He's filled with the mightiest message given to man—he has been touched with the God-Spark that blazes into achievement." He is a man of God, a lovable companion, a true friend worthy the confidence of all. (Joseph Quinney 1933, 663)
Conclusion
What kind of man was Charles A. Callis? He was a hard-working man, laboring for years in the coal mines. He was an ambitious man, which allowed him to become a lawyer without attending law school. He was an intelligent man. He was an obedient and faith-filled man. He was the father of a large group of missionaries. He was an ardent and motivated missionary himself.
He believed in the promises of the Lord, despite dire situations. He had a clear vision of the present’s role in the future. He gloried in the spiritual experiences he had and loved to share them with others.
Bennett, Richard E. 1981. "Elder Charles A. Callis: Twentieth-Century Missionary." Ensign, April. Accessed November 14, 2014. https://www.lds.org/ensign/1981/04/elder-charles-a-callis-twentieth-century-missionary?lang=eng.
Bennion, Milton. 1947. "Apostle Charles A. Callis." The Instructor, April: 157.
Callis, Charles A. 1908. Seventy-Ninth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 104-107.
—. 1909. The 79th Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 16-19.
—. 1910. Eightieth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 75-79.
—. 1915. Eighty-fifth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News. 106-109.
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—. 1922. Ninety-Third Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 156-158.
—. 1924. Ninety-Fourth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 19-20.
—. 1927. Ninety-Eighth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 30-32.
—. 1929. Ninety-Ninth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 23-24.
—. 1931. One-Hundred and First Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 106-107.
—. 1933. One Hundred Fourth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 10-11.
—. 1940. One Hundred Tenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 88-90.
—. 1940. One Hundred Eleventh Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 117-119.
—. 1941. One Hundred Eleventh Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 41-43.
—. 1941. One Hundred Twelfth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 82-85.
—. 1943. One Hundred Thirteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 60-62.
—. 1945. One Hundred Sixteenth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 80-83.
—. 1946. One Hundred Sixteenth Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 146-149.
—. 1946. One Hundred Seventeenth Semi-Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 44-47.
—. 1942. "Baliff, Adjourn the Court." The Improvement Era, February: 75, 123.
—. 1942. "The Gospel Tent Campaign." The Improvement Era, September: 558, 601.
2003. Church History in the Fulness of Times, Student Manual. Salt Lake City: Church Educational System Curriculum.
Hinckley, Bryant S. 1934. "Charles A. Callis." The Improvement Era, July: 387-389, 435.
Jenson, Andrew. 1936. Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. Salt Lake City: The Andrew Jenson Memorial Association.
Joseph Quinney, Jr. 1933. „Apostle Charles A. Callis.“ The Relief Society Magazine, November: 661-663.
Nibley, Preston. 1947. "Elder Charles A. Callis." The Relief Society Magazine, March: 155.
The Improvement Era. 1947. "Charles A. Callis." February: 78, 125.
Widtsoe, John A. 1947. "Editorial: Charles A. Callis." The Improvement Era, March: 160.