Clifford E. Young
Born: 7 December 1883
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 6 April 1941
Died: 21 August 1958
Called as Assistant to the Twelve: 6 April 1941
Died: 21 August 1958
Biographical Articles
Improvement Era, March 1957, Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve
Improvement Era, October 1958, Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve - 1883 - 1958
Relief Society Magazine, October 1858, In Memoriam--Elder Clifford Earle Young
Instructor, November 1958, He Did the Right Thing in the Right Way
Improvement Era, October 1958, Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve - 1883 - 1958
Relief Society Magazine, October 1858, In Memoriam--Elder Clifford Earle Young
Instructor, November 1958, He Did the Right Thing in the Right Way
Nibley, Preston. "Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve." Improvement Era. March 1957. pg. 144-147, 185-187, 189-191.
Clifford E. Young ASSISTANT TO THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE by Preston Nibley CHURCH HISTORIAN'S OFFICE Clifford Earl Young was the ninth child in a family of twelve, born to Dr. Seymour Bicknell and Ann Elizabeth Riter Young. The date of his birth was December 7, 1883. The home where he was born and reared, at 48 South Fourth East, Salt Lake City, still stands, although the neighborhood has vastly changed in the years that have passed. The home of Dr. Seymour Young was one of education and refinement, but the children were also taught the value of work. Among Clifford's earliest recollections are those of chore boy at the family home: working in the garden, milking the cows, feeding and currying the horses, washing the buggies, and occasionally driving his father to visit patients in various parts of the city. Clifford recalls with great interest that one of his father's distinguished patients was President Wilford Woodruff, who then resided at the old family home on Fifth East. He often drove his father to the Woodruff home and thus formed a rather intimate acquaintance with the fourth president of the Church, whom he describes as "gentle, kind, considerate, and an emblem of purity." Through his father's prominence as one of the General Authorities, Clifford had opportunities to meet other leaders of the Church, such as Presidents Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, and George Q. Cannon. Early in life he became acquainted with President Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Council of the Twelve, and who later became his father-in-law. Clifford came from a family, that had long sought truth and his ancestors had early cast their lot with the struggling restored Church. Like Nephi, Elder Young could say, "having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; . . ." (1 Nephi 1:1.) His grandfather, Joseph Young, was an elder brother of President Brigham Young. Both Joseph and Brigham joined the Church in 1832, in New York State, and soon became officials in the organization. When the First Quorum of Seventy was organized in Kirtland in March 1835, Joseph Young was chosen by the Prophet Joseph Smith as one of the seven presidents. He held this position during the remainder of his life. At his death in Salt Lake City on July 16, 1881, at the age of eighty-four, the Deseret News said of him editorially: "Joseph Young has been closely identified with the leaders of the Church for nearly fifty years, and although a quiet and unassuming man, he was well known from one end of the Territory to the other. He was beloved by all who knew him, for his virtue, integrity, humility, and kindness, his fearlessness in the cause of truth and his love of God and all good people. After a long life of usefulness he has passed away, to receive the reward of his well doing, leaving a name and example that will endure forever." (Deseret News, July 16, 1881.) Seymour Bicknell Young, the second son of Joseph Young, was born in Kirtland, Ohio, October 3, 1837. His childhood was spent with his parents in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, as they followed the Latter-day Saints in their wanderings. At Haun's Mill, Missouri, his mother carried him through a rain of bullets to hide him from a savage mob. He remembered being lifted up in the arms of his mother at Nauvoo, in June 1844, to obtain a view of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum as they left their homes for the last time and journeyed to Carthage, and to their martyrdom. At the age of thirteen he drove an ox team across the plains to Utah. When he was nineteen, he was called on a mission to England. The journey across the plains eastward was made "by the handcart method." After his return to Salt Lake City he was married to Ann Elizabeth Riter, on April 14, 1867. Looking towards a profession in life, Seymour B. Young took up the study of medicine in the offices of two prominent Salt Lake physicians, Anderson and Benedict. In 1871 he traveled eastward to New York City and matriculated at the University of New York, receiving his degree in March 1874. While practicing medicine in Salt Lake City, October 1882, he was called to the First Council of the Seventy. In 1893 he became the senior president of that quorum and served in this capacity until his death on December 15, 1924. At his funeral, held in the Assembly Hall on December 19, President Anthony W. Ivins paid him the following tribute: "I knew him as a man of gentleness, of love, of kindness, of humility, and of service. Wherever he was or whatever the circumstances might be, these were his outstanding characteristics. And with this there went that other qualification so essential to real manhood— when occasion required he was a soldier with the courage of a soldier. And so he always appealed to me to be a man, if service to others justifies such expectation, to whom the words of the Savior might aptly apply. His first devotion, his first service and love were to God, whom he recognized as his Father; and after that Seymour B. Young loved his neighbor, loved and served his fellow. That there is laid up for him a crown of everlasting life, a crown of glory; that he has, through his works while in mortality, earned glory and exaltation and everlasting life in the presence of his Father and God, and the Redeemer of the world, I have no doubt at all; and this after all is the only achievement of man which counts for very much. He has lived beyond the allotted age of man; his life of service has been extended as the lives of few men are." At the same service Dr. George W. Middleton paid tribute to Ann Elizabeth Riter Young, the wife of the deceased: "By the side of my friend stood a noble woman, through the heat and burden of the day. She was a reflex of all his Christian virtues and had added the savouring grace of rationality. When he was a struggling medical student, she stood valiantly by the hearthstone, to defend their tender offspring and to help furnish him the sinews of war. With a sagacity that was unusual for the sex, she helped to plan the family budget and to formulate the method of the family activities. But a few weeks ago Dr. Young told me this story and gave full credit to one to whom credit was due. ... A large and highly respected family of sons and daughters have inherited the sterling qualities of these noteworthy parents and are reflecting in their successful lives the precept and example which emanated from that family altar." Clifford's interest in gaining an education was stimulated by his parents and by his older brother, Levi Edgar, now senior president of the First Council of the Seventy. The first school that Clifford attended was in the old Twelfth Ward; later he completed the grades at the Oquirrh School, which still stands on Fourth East. In 1899 he registered at the University of Utah, then located where West High School now stands. The following year the university was moved to the east bench, and there Clifford continued his studies, taking general cultural courses until early in 1905, when he accepted a call for a mission to Great Britain. He was well qualified to preach the restored gospel, as he had always been active in the priesthood, in Sunday School, and in YMMIA. In his father's household he had been taught from his youth the principles of truth and salvation. On July 6, 1905, he was ordained to the office of seventy by his father, and three days later was on his way. In Boston he got a taste of the critical attitude some people had for the Church when he and his companions were refused admission to one hotel because they were Mormons. Among his traveling companions, although they were both bound for the Netherlands Mission, were the late President John H. Taylor of the First Council of the Seventy, and Dr. Clawson Y. Cannon, for over twenty-five years head of the animal husbandry department of Iowa State College and now of the faculty of Brigham Young University. The voyage across the ocean was pleasant, and the ship Arabic, carrying the missionaries, docked in Liverpool harbor on July 28. With characteristic friendliness, Heber J. Grant, then president of the European Mission, was at the wharf to greet them. After stopping at 10 Holly Road, the European Mission headquarters, for a few days, Elder Young received an appointment to the Liverpool District. He began his labors in the town of Blackburn, where there was a small branch of the Church. Ernest Wright of Salt Lake City was his first companion. After a few months he was transferred to Harwood, and then, in February 1906, he was transferred to the Swiss-German Mission by President Grant, and assigned to Nuremberg, in the Stuttgart District, by Serge F. Ballif, mission president. There was a large branch of the Church at Nuremberg, and Elder Young thoroughly enjoyed his labors. He soon acquired the language and felt at home among the people. It was in Nuremberg that he became acquainted with Alexander Schreiner, the present famed Tabernacle organist, who was then a small boy learning to play the organ. After laboring in Nuremberg one year, Elder Young was appointed president of the Hamburg District in Northern Germany. During the summer of 1907, President Charles W. Penrose of the European Mission visited the Hamburg District and Elder Young translated for him as he spoke to the congregations. Elder Young's work was so satisfactory that President Penrose requested him to accompany him through the mission and to continue to translate for him. In February 1908, Elder Young received an honorable release from his missionary labors and returned to his home. During the summer of 1908 Clifford obtained employment with the Consolidated Wagon and Machine Company, at their home office in Salt Lake City. In the spring of 1911 he became manager of the branch of the company in American Fork. On Tuesday, June 20, 1911, in the Salt Lake Temple, Clifford E. Young was married to Edith Grant, the talented and accomplished daughter of President Heber J. Grant. The couple established a home in American Fork. Edith was refined and educated, kind and considerate, and an ideal companion for her husband. In the fall of 1913 the People's State Bank of American Fork was established and Clifford E. Young became cashier. He has been connected with that institution as an employee and an officer since that time. For a number of years he has been president of the bank. During his years of residence in American Fork, Clifford has been active in the Church and the community. He served in the Utah legislature as senator from Utah County 1929-1934, and as city councilman in American Fork for six years. He served consecutively as scoutmaster for American Fork Second Ward (during which time he organized the second Scout troop in Utah), stake superintendent of Sunday Schools, member of YMMIA stake board, superintendent of the stake YMMIA, and finally as president of Alpine Stake, over which he presided from June 1928 to January 1942. He thus had a long period of preparation for the honor that came to him in April 1941, when he was selected as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. The life of Clifford E. Young has been consistent throughout: a life devoted to the service of his family, his Church, and his country. He loves his fellow men, and he has received their love and friendship in return. He has mastered the art of "getting along with people," which in itself is a great accomplishment. He remarked to this writer that one of the things he treasures most in life is "the goodwill of the people of American Fork and Alpine Stake" with whom he has been intimately associated for so many years. In the depression of the thirties, the north end of Utah County, where the Alpine Stake is located, was especially hard hit. Values of livestock sank to an all-time low. There was no sale for sheep or cattle; and what few farm crops were raised were insufficient for the people's needs. On the upper farm lands the drought was so severe that scarcely any crops were raised and out on the desert sheep perished for lack of feed and water. There was no work, the economic and spiritual condition of the people was at a low ebb. Many serious social problems arose; it was difficult to preserve the integrity of the home and prevent moral disintegration. The welfare program, as we know it today, had not been established. It was during this period of Brother Young's administration as stake president that every effort was made to preserve the morale of the people; to help them retain their homes, farms, and livestock and save them from bankruptcy and financial ruin. In his kind, understanding way he courageously faced the problems and forever endeared himself in the hearts of his friends and neighbors, who affectionately call him "Cliff." A non-LDS business acquaintance, Mr. Raymond C. Wilson, retired senior vice-president of the First Security Bank of Utah, N.A., has said of him: "My close acquaintance with Clifford E. Young dates back to 1933, the time of the bank holiday. In order to reopen for business, all state banks had to receive authority from the government. In the case of the People's State Bank of American Fork, they were obliged to raise considerable funds from their directors and stockholders. "The burden of the responsibility fell on Mr. Young as executive officer of the bank. He promptly pledged everything he and his wife owned as collateral for a loan to save the bank—their home, their land, their summer home, their stocks, everything. "A bank failure is a severe blow to a man's morale and reputation, and Cliff's honesty simply would not bow to this so long as he had life. Cliff worked day and night for months, and finally completed arrangements for a loan which enabled them to reopen the institution. "I know of no man in the business who has ever worked as hard and put up everything he had to save a bank. Through it all Cliff never lost faith, believing always that he could accomplish his aim. "My experience with Clifford E. Young is that he is thoroughly honest and honorable. His word is his bond. He always goes the extra mile to help a friend or to be sure that a deal is right. He would not knowingly or intentionally harm or inconvenience anyone. As far as I know he hasn't an enemy. I have seen him in situations in which he could have protected himself legally and practically, but would not consider doing so because such action would have been contrary to his high principles. "Clifford Young is the epitome of an honest, Christian businessman." In 1936 when the welfare program was launched, the Alpine Stake, under President Young's leadership, was one of the early stakes to obtain land and establish a cannery for the providing of work and commodities for the people. It was in American Fork that Clifford and his wife reared their family. Five children were born to them: Edith, on April 10, 1913, (married to Dr. Chauncy D. Harris, September 5, 1940); Helen, August 6, 1914, (married to Dr. John Boyd Page, December 28, 1936); Clifford E. Young, Jr., April 21, 1917, (married to Margaret Louise Bennion, June 21, 1944); Elizabeth Riter, born April 25, 1920 — died August 6, 1934; Miriam, April 2, 1924, (married to Dean S. Farnsworth, November 3, 1948). Dr. Harris is now dean of the school of arts and sciences at the University of Chicago; Dr. Page is dean of the graduate school of Texas A. and M., College Station, Texas. Dean Farnsworth has his bachelor of science degree from Brigham Young University in agronomy and is connected with the Phillips Petroleum Company in the field of soil fertilization. Clifford, Jr., has a bachelor of science degree from BYU and a master's degree from the Harvard business school and is now the cashier for the People's State Bank in American Fork. Among the cherished experiences of the Young family was that of having as frequent visitors to their American Fork home President and Sister Heber J. Grant, accompanied by members of the family of the President and his special guests and friends. President Grant loved the canyons, and one of his favorite pastimes was to drive around the Timpanogos Loop, ending up at the home of the Youngs. Sister Young had a lovely voice, and it was with great pride that President Grant had his daughter sing for his friends. These visits were usually characterized by a dinner prepared by Sister Young. The food was delicious. The hospitality of the home was unequaled. One of the many noted guests was Edgar A. Guest, the poet. On his way to California, Mr. Guest had stopped in Salt Lake City to meet President Grant, who had purchased so many of his books, and the President invited him to stay over a day and speak to the Brigham Young University student body. Returning to Salt Lake from Provo, the party stopped at the home of Brother and Sister Young, and what was to have been a short call turned out to be an afternoon visit which ended with everyone in the party sitting around the table having homemade bread and milk. It was in American Fork also that a great tragedy befell Clifford when his lovely wife Edith died of a sudden heart attack on August 20, 1947. At her death The Deseret News said of her editorially: "Mrs. Edith Grant Young was a woman of great faith and accomplishment. From the age of five years when she made her first public appearance as a singer, until the night before she was called home to her maker, she used her great musical talent to cheer and bless mankind. She has sung at literally hundreds of funerals and church services in American Fork and throughout the state. . . . Sister Young was widely known for her gracious hospitality and friendliness. . . . Her home was an ideal Latter-day Saint one. . . . Edith, as she was affectionately known, will long be remembered for her lasting achievements as a mother in Israel, and for her unbending devotion to the restored gospel." (Deseret News, August 23, 1947.) Since the death of his wife, Elder Young has continued to spend his time in filling assignments for the Church and in looking after his business affairs. Almost every Saturday and Sunday he attends a quarterly conference in one of the stakes, and he has endeared himself to thousands of Latter-day Saints with his wholesome advice and counsel as well as his genuine kindliness. High tribute was recently paid Elder Young by Elder Marion G. Romney of the Council of the Twelve when he wrote: "I am honored with this opportunity to say a few words about my beloved friend and colleague, Clifford E. Young. To him applies, as much as to any man I know, Peter's comment spoken of Jesus, 'he went about doing good.' (Acts 10:38.) "In sixteen years of close association, I have learned of his Christlike love of neighbor which dominates his life. He gives to the word 'neighbor' the wide interpretation implied in the parable of the Good Samaritan. To pass by one in distress without administering assistance violates his very nature. He has never been known to do so. "Blessed with a superb facility to be helpful without embarrassing or intruding, he is a cultured gentleman born and bred. Most graciously, he always leaves with his associates more in substance and kindness than he receives. "Many are the farm, livestock, and home owners who owe the continued possession of their property to his wise counseling and liberal financing. "Hundreds have been the beneficiaries of his husbandry. Berries, fruits, vegetables, poultry and dairy products, he has produced and carried to their homes. Hosts of friends and acquaintances have feasted at his bounteous table—particularly in the days of his beloved wife, Edith. "At his friendly and hospitable canyon cottage, many have been refreshed and invigorated. "His countless visits to the sick and distressed have given unmeasured comfort, strength and courage. His aid has ofttimes been substantial. For example, he once called upon a friend who with his wife was recuperating in a hospital from severe injuries. Clifford expressed sympathy, love, and his hopes for a speedy recovery. And then, unlike most of us who take our leave with the familiar phrase, 'Well, if there is anything I can do, just let me know,' he said in substance, 'Now, I don't know -what your circumstances are, but I do know that for me there have been times when I needed money more than sympathy. This may be one of those times in your life.' Whereupon he took from his pocket a checkbook, laid it on the table and said, 'I have opened an account in your name at the bank. Just draw what you need. We can talk about repayment later.' "Surely it can be said of him, he goes 'about doing good.' " Following are a few excerpts from sermons he has delivered at the general conferences held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He said on Sunday, October 3, 1954: "My brethren and sisters: I join you this beautiful Sabbath morning in expressing gratitude for a testimony of the divinity of this work. As I drove up this morning from my home in Utah County, I could not help feeling grateful that I had a father and mother who believed. My father (it is his 117th anniversary today) knew the Prophet Joseph, only as a boy however, but his family knew the Prophet intimately, and they loved him. My father loved him. My mother loved his name. They have instilled in the hearts of us children an appreciation of the great work. They went through times that were rough. Father knew the criticisms that had been heaped against the Prophet, but he knew they were not true, and he knew in very deed that Joseph was all he pretended to be. "I tried to think this morning as I was driving along, what I would have thought had I lived in the little village of Palmyra in 1820, when a young boy was to return to his home and tell his parents of the great manifestation that had come to him. I am wondering what I would have thought had I even been a brother, as was Hyrum, six years older than the Prophet. Would I have believed him or would I have thought that there was something wrong with the boy? But I am sure if I had come under that parental influence and had felt the faith and warmth of those parents who knew, I too would have subscribed to his great message and would have believed. "A mother knows the weakness of her children; she knows those weaknesses before anyone else. She does not parade them, for which we are grateful, but she knows the weaknesses, and Lucy Smith would have known whether or not the Prophet, the boy, was telling the truth. She would have known whether his message was one of truth or one of error, and she did know it and she never wavered throughout her life; neither did the father who stood loyally and truly by the side of the young Prophet. "It was a fantastic message. It was not easy to believe. And I try to picture the Prophet as we picture the Savior as he stood before Pilate, alone; his disciples had left him, even Peter had said that he did not know him when he was pressed by some of the rabble; so Jesus stood alone. In that early day of the history of the Church the Prophet stood alone; and yet, think of this great work today. One and a quarter centuries have passed and here we have evidence of the leaven that was referred to by Brother Morris, small as it was, leavening the lump; and this message of the restored gospel is spreading throughout the land." Elder Young has just pride in the great Young family, which has contributed so much to the Church, and whose name he bears. In a sermon at the April conference in 1946, he spoke as follows: "If I may be a bit personal, my grandfather [Joseph Young] with his four brothers and their father, joined the Church in 1832. My great-grandfather was then nearly seventy. All of these five brothers, with the exception of Lorenzo Young, were older than Joseph Smith, and yet when they came into Kirtland they recognized him as a Prophet of the Living God. They were men of intelligence; they were men capable of analyzing the Prophet Joseph Smith and appraising the things for which he stood. They believed implicitly in him, and when they accepted the truth as it had been taught to them by the early missionaries, to the day of their deaths they never wavered. All of them were true to the faith." In a sermon delivered on October 2, 1953, he spoke of the missionary work of the Church: "Our missionaries do not present a message of a new Church; it is a message of the restored Church. We do not have a new gospel; it is the gospel that was preached by Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Our position as Latter-day Saints is that we are entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the kingdom of God in the earth, that it may prepare mankind for the kingdom of heaven that is to come. We feel that there is no greater message that can be brought to the children of men than one that will make men conscious of error and turn them to the truth. Repentance is a grand Christian act; it is not only Christian, it is divine." Truly, Clifford E. Young by example as well as by precept is a man whom Latter-day Saints would do well to emulate. |
Elder Clifford E. Young
"I appreciate my membership in this Church. I am thankful for my parents who implanted in their children faith and confidence in this great work, and I humbly pray that I may not fail in this responsibility, that I may be able to measure up to every requirement and to every expectation that you and the brethren who preside have a right to expect." —Clifford E. Young, April 6, 1941 General Conference Clifford at about the age of five.
Dr. Seymour B. Young, father of Clifford E. Young.
Ann Elizabeth Riter Young, mother of Clifford.
Clifford at the age of four.
Clifford as he appeared in 1905.
Elder Young, right, as a missionary to Germany in 1907. His companion is Charles T. S. Parsons.
The Young family, December 28, 1937. Back row, Brother and Sister Young and Clifford E., Jr. Front row, left to right, Miriam (Farnsworth), Edith (Harris), and Helen (Page).
Clifford at the age of 12 (Christmas 1895) sleigh riding behind a pet calf.
Brother and Sister Young with part of their family at their American Fork Canyon home, August 1947.
Assistants to the Council of the Twelve: Back row, left to right, Sterling W. Sill, Hugh B. Brown, John Longden; front row, left to right, El Ray L. Christiansen, Alma Sonne, Clifford E. Young, Thomas E. McKay.
Ann Elizabeth Young as a girl.
Elder Young with some of his grandchildren
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Zobell, Albert L., Jr. "Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve - 1883 - 1958." Improvement Era. October 1958. pg. 728-729.
CLIFFORD E. YOUNG Assistant to the Council of the Twelve 1883-1958 by Albert L. Zobell, Jr., Research Editor Elder Clifford Earl Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, passed away the night of August 21, at 11:20, at the hospital in American Fork, Utah. Although in poor health for some time, Elder Young had remained active in his Church work until the day before he died. That evening he returned to his home in American Fork feeling ill. He entered the hospital the next morning. Elder Young was born December 7, 1883, in Salt Lake City, the son of Dr. Seymour B. and Ann Elizabeth Riter Young. Dr. Young, a practising physician, was a member of the First Council of the Seventy. Elder Young grew to manhood in the city, attending the University of Utah before being called, in 1905, to fill a mission to Great Britain. In February, 1906, he was transferred to the Swiss-German Mission, serving in the Stuttgart and Hamburg districts. He was released from the mission field in 1908. Returning to Utah he obtained employment with the Consolidated Wagon and Machine Company in Salt Lake City, and in the spring of 1911 he became manager of the branch of the company in American Fork. This small, thriving city was "home" to him for the rest of his mortal life. On June 20, 1911, in the Salt Lake Temple, he married Edith Grant, a daughter of Elder Heber J. Grant, then of the Council of the Twelve. President Grant had been one of the mission presidents under whom Elder Young had served in Europe. In the fall of 1913 the People's State Bank of American Fork was established, and Clifford E. Young became its cashier. He held many offices in that bank, and for a number of years before his death, he was its president. Throughout his lifetime he was active in civic and Church affairs of his community as well as serving in various business capacities. About 1914 he organized, and was scoutmaster of, the second troop of Boy Scouts in Utah; the first Utah troop south of Salt Lake City. He served in the Utah state senate from 1929 to 1934, representing Utah County, and as city councilman in American Fork for six years. Working in the cause of the youth of the Church he served as stake superintendent of Sunday Schools, a member of the YMMIA stake board, stake superintendent of YMMIA, and was called in June 1928 as president of the Alpine Stake of Zion. Here he served until January 1942. This was the span of time that saw the land producing abundantly, but there were people still going without the necessities of life. He early showed a great concern for the problem. When the Church welfare program was announced, he organized it effectively within the Alpine Stake. For two years prior to the spring of 1941, he was chairman of the Central Utah Region of the Church welfare program. He was called (with four others) at the April 1941 general conference, to be an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, and was set apart May 21, 1941. Standing at the pulpit in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, he said: "I appreciate my membership in this Church. I am thankful for my parents who implanted in their children faith and confidence in this great work, and I pray humbly that I may not fail in this responsibility, that I may be able to measure up to every requirement and to every expectation that you and the brethren who preside have a right to expect." For over seventeen years he carried the great responsibilities of this assignment. He toured missions, held conferences in the stakes, an(J dedicated edifices to the work of the kingdom here upon the earth. But more than that, in his quiet way, he encouraged men and women, boys and girls—the members of the Church—to become the living pillars of the Church, as he spoke to them upon gospel subjects and upon subjects that would make them better in their daily living. For many years he carried on his work despite great physical discomfort. Still he went on without complaining. Earlier this summer he was assigned to hold the first conference of the Bountiful South Stake, a stake which had been organized about six weeks. By letter he had arranged to meet the stake presidency in a meeting at five o'clock Saturday evening. At one minute past five a tap came on a door. The door was opened, and there stood Elder Young. He looked in and saw a stake presidency (South Davis Stake) meeting with Elder John Longden, also an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. Elder Young knew that he was in the wrong place and was visibly embarrassed. Hastily he asked directions, and found that the meetings of the Bountiful South Stake, to which he was assigned, were to be held in another chapel, about a mile to the north. The door closed and everyone went about the business at hand. The matter was soon forgotten by everyone except Elder Young! President C. Wallace Rollins of South Davis Stake was sitting alone in the stake office early the following morning. He looked up to see Elder Young come in. He had started fifteen minutes earlier that morning to give himself time to stop and apologize for walking into the wrong meeting. Later in the week he stopped by the office of Elder Longden to apologize to him, also. It was a little thing. It was a great thing for a man who was then pushing his body almost beyond the limits of his physical strength. But that was the picture of the sweet spirit of Elder Young—who always saved the second mile to be traveled by himself. He was honored last year by his neighbors, the people of American Fork, for his work in bringing the Utah Symphony Orchestra to the community annually for a youth concert. Sister Young passed away in 1947. Elder Young is survived by one son and three daughters, Clifford E. Young, Jr., American Fork; Mrs. Boyd (Helen) Page, Bryan, Texas; Mrs. Dean (Miriam) Farnsworth, Hunter, Utah; and Mrs. Chauncey (Edith) Harris, Chicago; and thirteen grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother, President Levi Edgar Young of the First Council of the Seventy, and by four sisters: Miss Florence Pearl Young, Mrs. Elma Young Aldous, Mrs. Orson M. (Bernice) Rogers, and Mrs. J. T. (Hortense) Hammond, Jr., and by a half-sister, Nana Garnett, all of Salt Lake City. Funeral services were held, August 26, in the Alpine Stake Tabernacle, at American Fork, Utah. Speakers were President David O. McKay, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., Elder Marion G. Romney of the Council of the Twelve, and Delbert Chipman, a lifelong friend and neighbor of Elder Young. |
"A man of high character and patriotism . . . devoted and self sacrificing for his church"
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Young, S. Dilworth. "In Memoriam--Elder Clifford Earle Young." Relief Society Magazine. October 1958. pg. 649-650.
In Memoriam— Elder Clifford Earle Young Assistant to the Council of the Twelve (December 7, 1883 - August 21, 1958) Elder S. Dilworth Young Of the First Council of Seventy IN his early years Clifford Earle Young was that rare type of man who is loved by his nieces and nephews. Somehow we were always treated by him as though we were his age. He had pet nicknames for each of us. Perhaps there was some characteristic in us which excited his humor or his imagination, and the name was tacked on. We always knew that they were ''love" names. They were always spoken with a caress in the voice. He went out of his wav to take us with him to the small farm his father owned or up at Mountain Dell, the summer camping place. He might have more often taken those his own age, but he usually didn't. And we were content to go and just be with him. lie didn't confine this practice to his relatives. He often took boys of his ward, too. Later, he took on a man's responsibilities, but he kept up the relationship. Everyone of us felt free to go to him with joys, sorrows, troubles, triumphs. When he married Edith Grant the most happy of all were his small relatives. All of us knew we would like her because he did—and none were disappointed. She took his supporters to her heart and treated them as he had done. In one of his major decisions he decided to cast his lot with the people of American Fork, Utah. He had a good opportunity offered him by a Salt Lake firm, but he saw in that town his best place to serve. What he had done for his young relatives in Salt Lake, he enlarged and carried forward in his new home. Reading about the many civic and Church offices he held, one realizes that he meant to serve, and he proved his desires by his works. He was early recognized and accepted there as an honest, truthful, courageous leader. Lie spoke his mind, sometimes sharply, but his acts dulled the edge of the words. He sometimes reproved a man for his foolish decisions, and at the same time, protected him financially while that person could work out a better way to solve the problem. I doubt if there is an instance where a person in need of help and willing to stand up to the responsibility, failed to get aid from Clifford Young. I have been to stake quarterly conferences following his visits of a few months previous. Universally people have spoken of his warm humanity, his humble reticence at being a burden, his kindly conversation, his sage advice, his sweet spirit. Each stake has been better able to receive of the Spirit by his visit. Like the other members of his family, he loved to read good books. He could not endure poorly written expressions, but noble observations on the people of our lives and times, well-written, were a passion with him. During the past two years he was especially taken up with an extensive study of Abraham Lincoln, but all the while this was going on, one would find on his reading table the latest books on politics, government, biography, and history. From all of these he gleaned the portions that were truth and applied them to his life. Most of all, he was true to a self-imposed trust to see that his sisters, unable to care for themselves, should not want. When he was stricken with what is ordinarily a quickly fatal disease, he prayed with all his heart that he might be spared to finish that task. We believe the Lord heard and granted the request. He was a noble man of noble parents. His family, his kinfolk, and his friends will gain many lessons from his life—and will hold dear his memory. |
Elder Clifford Earle Young
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"He Did the Right Thing in the Right Way." Instructor. November 1958. pg. 333, 338.
He Did the Right Thing the Right Way ELDER CLIFFORD E. YOUNG, assistant to the Council of the Twelve, died this past August 21. He was a kind, sensitive, gentle man who sought to serve quietly and efficiently. He was, however, a most able administrator and leader. Following are brief notes written for us by three who knew him well: THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF IN February, 1945, Sister Romney and I were confined to the LDS Hospital. We both had been injured in an automobile accident, Sister Romney critically. Among our most solicitous well-wishers was our fellow assistant to the Council of the Twelve, Elder Clifford E. Young. At the close of one of his visits to the hospital, he in substance said, "Marion, I am sure this misfortune has been and is a financial burden. I don't know what your circumstances are; but I know, for I have been through them, that there are times when a man needs something more than a 'God bless you.' I have. therefore, set up in our bank a drawing account in your favor. Here is a checkbook. Just draw what you need. When you have recovered and things return to normal, we can arrange for repayment." So saying, he laid a checkbook on the table at the side of my bed and left. —Elder Marion G. Romney, Member of the Council of the Twelve. AN EDUCATED MAN ELDER CLIFFORD E. YOUNG loved to quote the great men of history. One of his favorite thoughts was Abraham Lincoln's saying, "You can't do the right thing the wrong way." Clifford brought together for his library many of the finest works on history and literature. This created within him a love of books; and he read such works as William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essays, and the lives of great men like George Washington and Lincoln. The story of the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to General Ulysses S. Grant stirred the heart of Lincoln. He ordered Grant to have Lee tell the soldiers of the South that they should have their wagons, horses, and cattle, as the people would need them. No surrender in history of one man to another was ever more beautiful than the surrender of the Southern General Lee to the Northern General Grant. Such stories in American history were known to Clifford, and he always told them with joy. And so it was with his books — he was a great reader. He was an educated man in the true sense of the term. —President Levi Edgar Young. Member of the First Council of the Seventy. INTEGRITY WAS EXACTING ELDER CLIFFORD E. YOUNG'S respect for the General Authorities and their attitude of integrity was frequently referred to in his conversations and discussions. The First Presidency as the Trustee-in-Trust of the Church had a tremendous meaning to him and he often cited some circumstances of seemingly minute importance which would exemplify this integrity. One illustration he made happened when he was superintendent of the Alpine Stake Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. At General Conference time, Elder George Albert Smith, then the general superintendent, would call a meeting in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square for the MIA officers, preceding the General Conference session. The MIA meeting would continue until a few minutes before 10 a.m. and a seat in the Tabernacle for General Conference then, as now, was impossible near 10 a.m. Elder Young, being a son-in-law of President Heber J. Grant, asked President Grant for a reserved seat for conference following his MIA meeting. President Grant looked at Elder Young, completely appraising him up and down, and replied, "Now just who do you think you are, and for what reason should you be given a privilege not available to other members of the Church?" Elder Young would use this incident to illustrate that the integrity of the General Authorities was so exacting even the insignificance of a special seat in conference for one not so entitled was a matter not to be violated. --Leo G. Meredith, friend. CLIFFORD E. YOUNG CLIMAXED by 17 years as an assistant to the Council of the Twelve, Clifford Earl Young devoted a lifetime of service to his God and fellow man. He was born Dec. 7, 1883, in Salt Lake City to Dr. Seymour B. and Ann Elizabeth Riter Young. After attending the University of Utah (Salt Lake City), he left in 1905 on a Latter-day Saint mission. The first eight months he spent in England and then for two years was in the German Mission. He settled in Utah County of his native state after his mission and became prominent in civic and business affairs there. He was a city councilman for six years and a member of the Utah State Senate from 1929 to 1934. Long associated with People's State Bank of American Fork, Utah, he was its president for several years. Meanwhile, he served as Alpine Stake Sunday School superintendent, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association superintendent and stake president. He was named to the latter position in 1928 and continued to preside over the stake for nine months after he was sustained Apr. 6, 1941, as an assistant to the Council of the Twelve. While stake president, he also was chairman of the Central Utah Region of the Church Welfare Program. Elder Young married Edith Grant, a daughter of the late President Heber J. Grant, June 20, 1911, in the Salt Lake Temple. Of their live children, a son and three daughters are still living. Mrs. Young died in 1947. After several years of ill health, Elder Young died Aug. 21, 1958. |
CLIFFORD E. YOUNG He gave more than a "God Bless You."
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