Joseph L. Wirthlin
Born: 14 August 1893
Called as Presiding Bishop: 6 April 1952
Honorably Released: 30 September 1961
Died: 25 January 1963
Called as Presiding Bishop: 6 April 1952
Honorably Released: 30 September 1961
Died: 25 January 1963
Biographical Articles
Biographical Encyclopedia, Volume 4
Instructor, April 1939, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Second Counselor of the Presiding Bishopric
Improvement Era, March 1953, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Eighth Presiding Bishop of the Church
Improvement Era, December 1961, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Our Retiring Bishop
Improvement Era, March 1963, Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin Passes
Instructor, April 1939, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Second Counselor of the Presiding Bishopric
Improvement Era, March 1953, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Eighth Presiding Bishop of the Church
Improvement Era, December 1961, Joseph L. Wirthlin, Our Retiring Bishop
Improvement Era, March 1963, Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin Passes
Jenson, Andrew. "Wirthlin, Joseph L." Biographical Encyclopedia. Volume 4. pg. 511.
WIRTHLIN, Joseph Leopold, Bishop of the Salt Lake City 33rd Ward, Liberty Stake, Utah, from 1928 to 1930, was born Aug. 14, 1893, in Salt Lake City, the son of Joseph Wirthlin and Emma Hillstead. He was baptized in June, 1902, and after being ordained an Elder he filled a mission to the Swiss and German Mission in 1913-1914. He was ordained a High Priest Feb. 25, 1926, by Charles W. Nibley, and a Bishop April 22, 1928, by James E. Talmage.
WIRTHLIN, Joseph Leopold, Bishop of the Salt Lake City 33rd Ward, Liberty Stake, Utah, from 1928 to 1930, was born Aug. 14, 1893, in Salt Lake City, the son of Joseph Wirthlin and Emma Hillstead. He was baptized in June, 1902, and after being ordained an Elder he filled a mission to the Swiss and German Mission in 1913-1914. He was ordained a High Priest Feb. 25, 1926, by Charles W. Nibley, and a Bishop April 22, 1928, by James E. Talmage.
"Joseph L. Wirthlin, Second Counselor of the Presiding Bishopric." Instructor. April 1939. pg. 142-143.
JOSEPH L. WIRTHLIN
Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
If you turn to your left, as you enter the Presiding Bishop's office, in Salt Lake City, your eyes will encounter those of Bishop Wirthlin—unless he is absorbed in something on his desk. But even then, he is apt to look up, for there is only a counter between him and the big lobby, with desks on all sides. He sees all and, apparently, knows all.
Bishop Wirthlin is the youngest of the Bishopric. He is approaching his forty-sixth birthday, which will be on August 14, next. His wife was Madeline Bitner, and the couple have five children, one of whom is on a mission in Germany. The Bishop himself went to Germany for the Church, before his marriage, but, owing to the outbreak of the World War, he was transferred to Kansas. He was graduated from the L. D. S. University, in Salt Lake City.
He has a simple business philosophy which he applies in his private affairs and which is equally applicable to public affairs. It is this; Know what your income is, so that you may know whether to expand or to retrench. And he does not believe in gambling with the future.
A few years ago, when Bishop Wirthlin presided over the Thirty-third ward, in Salt Lake City, he called together all the quorums of the Priesthood. The meeting house, he said, needed some alterations, which would cost a certain sum, which he named. And he put the question before the men with characteristic energy and . clearness. Should the work be done, and how was the money to be obtained? The brethren optimistically declared for the changes and proposed that the necessary funds be obtained by assessing the heads of families according to their ability to pay—a sound financial policy.
When the discussion was over, the Bishop threw a bomb into the meeting. "Not a tap of work," he said, "will be done until every cent o/ the money is in!"
Pay as you go; take periodical inventories of what you have; don't speculate as to what you may get; balance your budget every year-end—this is what the Bishop thinks should be done by every man and by every organization, civic or political or religious. Only thus can future money troubles be headed off.
Such is the character of Bishop Wirthlin, and this is a clue to what one may expect of him in the prosecution of his office.
JOSEPH L. WIRTHLIN
Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric
If you turn to your left, as you enter the Presiding Bishop's office, in Salt Lake City, your eyes will encounter those of Bishop Wirthlin—unless he is absorbed in something on his desk. But even then, he is apt to look up, for there is only a counter between him and the big lobby, with desks on all sides. He sees all and, apparently, knows all.
Bishop Wirthlin is the youngest of the Bishopric. He is approaching his forty-sixth birthday, which will be on August 14, next. His wife was Madeline Bitner, and the couple have five children, one of whom is on a mission in Germany. The Bishop himself went to Germany for the Church, before his marriage, but, owing to the outbreak of the World War, he was transferred to Kansas. He was graduated from the L. D. S. University, in Salt Lake City.
He has a simple business philosophy which he applies in his private affairs and which is equally applicable to public affairs. It is this; Know what your income is, so that you may know whether to expand or to retrench. And he does not believe in gambling with the future.
A few years ago, when Bishop Wirthlin presided over the Thirty-third ward, in Salt Lake City, he called together all the quorums of the Priesthood. The meeting house, he said, needed some alterations, which would cost a certain sum, which he named. And he put the question before the men with characteristic energy and . clearness. Should the work be done, and how was the money to be obtained? The brethren optimistically declared for the changes and proposed that the necessary funds be obtained by assessing the heads of families according to their ability to pay—a sound financial policy.
When the discussion was over, the Bishop threw a bomb into the meeting. "Not a tap of work," he said, "will be done until every cent o/ the money is in!"
Pay as you go; take periodical inventories of what you have; don't speculate as to what you may get; balance your budget every year-end—this is what the Bishop thinks should be done by every man and by every organization, civic or political or religious. Only thus can future money troubles be headed off.
Such is the character of Bishop Wirthlin, and this is a clue to what one may expect of him in the prosecution of his office.
Hinckley, Bryant S. "Joseph L. Wirthlin, Eighth Presiding Bishop of the Church." Improvement Era. March 1953. pg. 146-149, 170-175.
JOSEPH L WIRTHLIN EIGHTH PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE CHURCH by Bryant S. Hinckley No sounder piece of . . . manhood was put together in this century of time, . . . —Thomas Carlyle.[1] Joseph Leopold Wirthlin, eighth Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 14, 1893, the eldest son of Joseph and Emma Hilstead Wirthlin. His mother's people were of English descent and devoutly religious people. Some marvelous spiritual manifestations preceded their conversion to the Church. Emma Hilstead was a talented singer and musician, a brilliant and beautiful woman of unusual spirituality and leadership. At the time of her death, she was president of the Relief Society of the Eleventh Ward of Salt Lake City. Bishop Wirthlin's forebears on his father's side were sturdy, hard-working, soundly honest people, early immigrants to Utah. His grandfather, Leopold Wirthlin, many years ago was called on a mission. Times were hard, and the family was poor.. In order to make it possible for him to go, he sold his only cow. While he was away, his wife sewed salt sacks for one dollar a thousand. Through her unceasing toil and rigid economy, she managed to care for the family and keep her husband on a mission. They were of Swiss descent. Bishop Wirthlin inherits his force of character and executive ability in a large measure from his father, who from his boyhood days was connected with the livestock and meat business. And while he was yet a young man, he started in this business for himself in Eureka, Juab County, Utah. It was there that he met his young and beautiful bride, and it was there that he spent his early boyhood days. His father, although successful in merchandising and stock raising, became interested in mining. He accumulated a substantial estate and moved to Salt Lake City. Bishop Wirthlin relates this story which illustrates the Wirthlin courage: "Many years ago, there was a labor strike in Eureka, and the strikers notified Father not to deliver any goods while the strike was on. He replied, 'You will have to leave that to my judgment.' Sometime later the people at the boarding house sent word to Father that they were out of supplies, and needed food. He said, 'All right, I'll deliver it.' He loaded his delivery wagon with supplies, got in the front seat next to the driver and, with a double-barreled shotgun across his knees, rode down through the strikers and delivered the goods." In the summertime Joseph, before he had reached his teens, herded his father's sheep on the Tintic range. That meant that he must be up at four o'clock in the morning and have the sheep grazing on a distant hill where his father could see them at six o'clock in the morning, and he had to bring them all to the bedding ground at night. That was a man's job, and he did it. Thus he learned at an early age to carry responsibilities and to do things whether he liked to do them or not. There was something in that experience that you do not get out of textbooks or in the classroom. This training develops self-reliance and leads to a disciplined and well-balanced life. Furthermore, he grew up with a personal responsibility to his Heavenly Father. Both of these characteristics are clearly manifested in his mature life. By instinct and training, inheritance and choice, Bishop Wirthlin is a businessman. The men are few indeed who know the essentials of business as Joseph L. Wirthlin knows them. He is acknowledged to be one of the best judges of cattle and sheep that can be found. This is a result of his early training with his father who in his own right was a man of business ability. More than thirty years ago, Bishop Wirthlin started in business for himself on borrowed capital, and he has built from the ground up a meat business based upon two guarantees- — quality of goods and honesty of weight. He now has a flourishing wholesale and retail business. It is managed by his eldest son, Joseph B., a handsome and affable young man. In days when he was devoting his time largely to his own affairs, he would be at his place of business from six o'clock in the morning until late at night. . „ He lives on a 110-acre farm near Salt Lake City where he manages a dairy and looks after the cultivation of his lands. Joseph L. loves cattle and sheep and the wide open spaces. The Canadian ranches which he oversees for the Church cover almost an empire, and grazing on these broad acres are thousands of Hereford cattle. While this management involves much correspondence and a great deal of planning in his office, he goes up there two or three times a year and spends from ten days to three weeks on the grounds. In managing these extensive ranches, he is experiencing the fulfilment of the fondest dreams of his boyhood—to manage a great ranch with thousands of cattle. To go to Canada and ride through the cattle, to breathe the fresh air of the plains, and to hear the lowing of the herds, brings a serene satisfaction to his heart, and to ride a fine saddle horse for days over the grass covered hills, to mingle with the ranch hands, and to work out with them plans for developing the ranch, satisfies something deep down in his soul. The bishop is a shrewd buyer and a good salesman, and through his wisdom and managerial ability, he has been able to make this great enterprise a profitable one. Bishop Wirthlin's lifelong training seemed a preparation for his assignment as Presiding Bishop of the Church. He has come up through the various quorums of the priesthood, functioning in all of them. He served as superintendent of the Mutual Improvement Association of the Eleventh Ward in the Ensign Stake, was counselor in the bishopric of the Thirty-third Ward, and was bishop of that ward for ten years. He became a member of the high council of the Liberty Stake and was president of the Bonneville Stake. He did missionary work in the Swiss-German Mission where he served for one year. Because of World War I, he was transferred to the Central States where he finished his mission. In 1938, he was chosen as second counselor to the Presiding Bishop. Following the death of Bishop Marvin O. Ashton, Joseph L. Wirthlin was advanced to first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Since he has served in these various capacities, he knows Church work from all angles. He has had a close and intimate contact with people, and he understands their problems and knows how to help in their solution. So from the very grass roots he has learned the genius of Church leadership. Few Presiding Bishops have come to this great office with a better knowledge of its details, duties, responsibilities, and opportunities than Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin. For fourteen years, he was an apt understudy of one of the great modern missionaries and distinguished leaders of the Church, LeGrand Richards. Not only has he made a study of the requirements of this office, but he has also discharged every responsibility placed upon him as a counselor with signal ability. He knows this job and, assisted by the capable men whom he has chosen as counselors, is carrying forward the great task committed to his hands with credit and distinction. The work in this office has been departmentalized and organized with responsibilities definitely fixed, and with experts wherever needed, so that the whole organization functions smoothly and effectively. The main office has about one hundred and fifty employees under the supervision of Taylor H. Merrill. September 14, 1916, one month after his twenty- third birthday, Joseph L. Wirthlin married Madeline Bitner, a daughter of Brennaman Barr and Martina Halsethe Bitner. Madeline is the youngest of a group of ten daughters, all attractive, interesting, and brilliant women. She is a natural leader, a housekeeper, a homemaker, and a mother in all that these terms imply. This young couple were active in dramatics and popular in the groups with which they mingled. Their married life, though full of problems and responsibilities, has indeed been a happy one. The Wirthlin home is a center of culture, comfort, and hospitality where faith in God and love of country are engendered. It is an example to all Israel. This couple has created at the fireside the atmosphere in which strong men and noble women grow. They have given to the world three sons and two daughters: Joseph B., Judith W. Parker, Gwen W. McConkie, Richard B., serving a mission, David B. residing at home. These children reflect credit upon their distinguished parents, upon the Church to which they belong, and on the community in which they live. Madeline has always been a helpful and happy companion, cheerful and cooperative. She pays this tribute to her husband: Thirty-five years of married life have brought many joys and few sorrows. My companion has always been a good husband and father, and a generous provider. He is an avid reader—church books, newspapers, magazines, books of history, and biographies; these make him conversant with many subjects. His unbounded energy keeps him active in various phases of business, farming, cattle raising, and dairying, but nothing has precedence over his duties in the Church. To this, he has given constant effort and unwavering allegiance. For these qualities I am deeply grateful, not only for myself, but for the fine example and heritage he has also given our children who, following in his footsteps, are now active in church, educational pursuits, business, and homemaking. In a discourse delivered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle the bishop paid this tribute to his wife: I have been blessed with a fine companion. In the early years of our married life when it was a struggle, and I labored in the bishopric of my ward; she gave me encouragement. Many times I have come home from work late. My clothes were spread out; my meal was prepared. I ate quickly, changed clothes, and visited in the ward until late at night, arose early the next morning before my children were awake, and went to work. For days at a time I did not see them when they were awake. So this companion of mine has the credit of rearing our family, and since I have been in the Presiding Bishopric, being away for weeks at a time, she has taken over, and has done a great service as far as my family is concerned, and I say, "God bless her."[2] Love of home is strong in his heart. He believes in the fireside, in the laughter of little children, and the gospel that builds happy, peaceful homes without which the deepest longings of the heart can not be satisfied. His home is the center of his affection, a refuge from the noise of the world, the place where he rests, relaxes, reinforces his energies, and lays the foundation for great living. Joseph L. is a sound piece of manhood, standing five feet, ten inches and weighing about two hundred pounds, robust in intellect and body with great physical and moral courage, able to care for himself in the jousts of the world. He is always peaceful but never afraid of the encounter. One of his outstanding characteristics which is clearly shown in his features is determination directed by driving energy. When he makes up his mind and undertakes a task, he carries it through. Difficulties never daunt him. He has a good memory for facts, faces, and details, a photographic memory. He thinks fast and clearly and has confidence in his own judgment. Underlying all of these qualities is an impregnable honesty. He reads widely and with discrimination. Rising above and reinforcing all of these characteristics is loyalty to the Church and its leaders. His confidence in them is flawless. That is the dominant note running through his life. Bishop Wirthlin is an ardent American. As a child he could name the Presidents of the United States. He believes religiously in the Constitution and government of the United States. Love of country is almost a passion with him. While Bishop Wirthlin is preeminently a practical man, he is a profoundly religious man. His religion is of the everyday kind, the kind that registers in one's behavior. He is neither a dreamer nor a doctrinarian. Perhaps the rhapsodies of Isaiah would not make the same appeal to his practical mind that these words of James might. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (James 2:14-17.) The following are his sentiments: "I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day. "I'd rather one would walk with me than merely point the way. ..." (Edgar A. Guest.) He believes that it is not the miraculous testimonies we may have, but it is the keeping of the commandments of God and living lives of purity not only in action but also in thought that will count with the Lord. There is nothing sanctimonious about Brother Wirthlin. He is not overpious, but his religion penetrates his thinking and motivates his action. He has a settled and unshakable faith in the Redeemer of the world, in the efficacy of prayer, in the restoration of the plan of salvation and its power to save all who obey its precepts, in the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith and of all who have succeeded him in the Presidency of the Church. When asked if he has definite objectives which he hopes to attain as Presiding Bishop, he replied, "With the help of the Lord, the assistance of my counselors, Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacson and Bishop Carl W. Buehner, I hope to accomplish in a measure, at least, the following objectives: (1) that the vast army of men over the age of twenty-one holding the Aaronic Priesthood will eventually be led to renew their interest in priesthood work and qualify themselves to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood as a blessing to them and their families; (2) that every young man under the age of twenty-one shall come up through the various offices of the Aaronic Priesthood with a full understanding of its sacredness and with a comprehension of their duties and opportunities therein, and that we shall not lose one of these young men from the time they are ordained a deacon until they are qualified to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood; (3) that through this process we hope to convince the youth of the Church that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Father and the Son actually appeared to him, that the gospel has been restored in all its fulness, and that it is the only philosophy which will provide happiness and joy in mortality and exaltation in the celestial kingdom for those who are in complete harmony with the Lord and his purposes; (4) that the membership of the Church will learn that in the payment of full tithes, the Lord's promises will be fulfilled in the spiritual blessings, the blessings of health, and all material blessings which are necessary for their comfort; (5) that the membership of the Church will receive proper value for every dollar expended in the erection of chapels, and that all of our chapels will have the needed facilities for carrying on the program of the Church, that simplicity will be the predominant factor in the architecture of these buildings; (6) that the expenditure of funds by the Presiding Bishopric will be done with the utmost care and economy; (7) that through the support of the general welfare program of the Church, the widows, the orphans, the aged, the unemployed, shall be cared for in a spirit of kindness and consideration; (8) that at all times we shall be in full harmony with the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve." Making clear one's objectives is the first step toward their realization. A careful examination of what is laid down here as the end toward which the Presiding Bishopric is striving, shows what a colossal and noble enterprise it has undertaken in the training of the boyhood and young manhood of this Church through the Lesser Priesthood program. To succeed in this objective, that is, to see that no boy is lost in the transition from one division of the priesthood to another, would make this Church distinguished the world over and give it first place among the agencies and institutions devoted to building boys into noble men. This objective alone is worthy of the cooperation and consecrated effort of all who are interested in the success and salvation of the youth of this Church. We know of no other plan comparable to this for building character in boys and young men. Bishop Wirthlin does not lack in determination and strength of purpose, nor is he remiss in his devotion to this cause. We therefore have every reason to hope that through such a program, with such leadership, a generation of men will grow up distinguished for their purity of life, their steadfastness of purpose, and their strength of character. In the distribution of the responsibilities of this office among the Bishop and his counselors, Bishop Wirthlin is specifically assigned the responsibility of presiding over the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church, of stimulating attendance at sacrament meeting, of managing the Church ranches in Canada, Washaki Indian Reservation, and with Henry D. Moyle, associated in directing the activities of other agricultural enterprises of the Church. Bishop Wirthlin is president of the board of directors for the Deseret Gymnasium, a member of the Church budget committee, chairman of the board of trustees of the Dr. W. H. Groves L.D.S. Hospital, Salt Lake City, and chairman of the board of the Society for the Aid of the Sightless. His life is a fine example of what a man's religion should do for him. This is his fervent testimony: I know that this is the Church of the Christ. I am just as sure of that as I live. The visitation of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith is a reality, not a dream. And the visitation of John the Baptist, and Peter, James, and John, and all of the heavenly beings who visited the Prophet, giving him the keys wherein the gospel was restored in its simplicity and its fulness, and finally the establishment of the Church as it existed in the days of the Christ, are all realities. There is no question about it. Bishop Wirthlin is a strong and positive character, mellowed by long experience and softened by the benign influence of the religion to which he has dedicated his all. He is responsive to the appeals of the poor, kind to the unfortunate, helpful to the discouraged, and at the same time able to manage wisely the far-flung and diversified interests of the Church. He lives a sane and well-balanced life, holding in happy combination the spiritual and the practical, the real and the ideal. Joseph L. Wirthlin is eminently fitted for the great office to which he has been called. His wholehearted and steadfast dedication to his calling, supported by a contrite heart and an unwavering faith in God, will enable him to give the cause he serves and the people he loves, a great administration. [1] Essay, Sir Walter Scott. [2] Conference Report, April 1952, pages 116, 117. |
Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin at his desk in the Church Office Building.
Madeline Bitner Wirthlin, wife of Joseph L. Wirthlin.
Part of the herd of Hereford cattle which graze on the broad acres of Church-owned ranches in Canada.
Bishop Wirthlin, right, and his counselors, Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacson, center, and Bishop Carl W. Buehner.
Bishop and Sister Wirthlin with their children and grandchildren.
Joseph Wirthlin, father of Joseph L.
Emma Hilstead Wirthlin, mother of Joseph L.
Joseph L. Wirthlin as a baby.
Joseph L. (back, center), as a boy, and three of his sisters.
The Joseph L. Wirthlin family about 1922. The children are, left to right, Joseph B., Judith, and Gwendolyn.
Riding is a favorite form of recreation of the Wirthlins. Bishop Wirthlin and two of his sons on their Murray farm.
The Office of Presiding Bishop
No organization instituted by the ingenuity of man is comparable to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for implementing a great program whose aim and purpose is to save and bless mankind. In this organization one of the indispensable segments is the office of Presiding Bishop. It plays a part of primary importance in the functioning of the Church. In its broadest implications this office looks after the temporal affairs of the Church, presides over the Aaronic Priesthood with all its quorums and ramifications, carries forward a great program for taking the gospel into the homes through the ward teaching system of the Church. Under the senior Aaronic Priesthood program, it conducts a plan of education for those whose training in the Church has been interrupted. It supervises the collection of the tithes and offerings of the Church, assists in the construction and maintenance of places of worship and of recreation, and in numerous other ways assists in carrying forward the work of the Church. With a fast growing organization spreading all over the civilized world, one can readily understand that it requires a man of major capacity to administer the affairs of this office. During the past hundred and twenty years, eight men have been called to this exalted office. The first bishop was Edward Partridge called by direct revelation to be "a bishop unto the Church."[1] Newel K. Whitney, who was called of God as was Aaron, through revelation, became the second Presiding Bishop.[2] He was succeeded by the following in the order named: Edward Hunter, William B. Preston, Charles W. Nibley, Sylvester Q. Cannon, LeGrand Richards, and Joseph L. Wirthlin. [1] D. & C. 41:9. [2] Ibid., 72:8. |
"Joseph L. Wirthlin, Retiring Presiding Bishop." Improvement Era. December 1961. pg. 908.
JOSEPH L. WIRTHLIN RETIRING PRESIDING BISHOP BY CARTER E. GRANT, EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Joseph Leopold Wirthlin—carrying an ancestral Swiss name—was born to Joseph and Emma Hilstead Wirthlin in Salt Lake City, August 14, 1893, sixty-eight years ago. His mother ". . . was a talented singer and musician, a brilliant and beautiful woman of unusual spirituality and leadership. At the time of her death, she was president of the Relief Society of the Eleventh Ward of Salt Lake City." (Improvement Era, pp. 146- 149, 1953, Bryant S. Hinckley.) After graduating from high school and serving as president of his ward YMMIA, "Joseph L." was called, October 20, 1913, to the Swiss-German Mission—back to the land of his ancestors—but a year later, owing to the outbreak of World War I, he finished his mission in the Central States. He was married in the Salt Lake Temple September 14, 1916, to Madeline Bitner, ". . . the youngest of a group of ten daughters, all attractive, interesting, and brilliant women." {Idem.) They have three sons and two daughters. Ward and stake appointments began pouring in upon this returned missionary. After ten years of loyal service he was called to be second counselor to Bishop Joseph Hyrum Grant in the Thirty-third Ward, serving from February 22, 1926 to April 22, 1928, when he was ordained the bishop of that ward and served until April 14, 1935. He was then called into the high council of Liberty Stake, May 1935 to October 27, 1935, when he was made president of the Bonneville Stake and served until April 6, 1938. He was then appointed second counselor to LeGrand Richards in the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, and on December 14, 1946, he was chosen first counselor, serving until he was called to be Presiding Bishop, April 6, 1952, magnifying that calling until released, September 30, 1961. He has now received a rather new appointment, Secretary and Treasurer of the Deseret Holding Corporation, having considerable to do with the ever-expanding properties of the LDS Church, the world around. "Bishop Wirthlin is a great man," declared Bishop Carl W. Buehner, addressing the October conference 1961, "a man of integrity, a man of honesty, a man whose word is good all the time, and it is to Bishop Wirthlin that I owe the great honor that came to me, since he is the man who asked that I serve with him as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric." In his last conference address as Presiding Bishop, Elder Wirthlin declared: "I want to bear testimony to you that I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. I am so grateful that in my own soul I can bear that testimony without any hesitation." |
Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin
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Zobell, Albert L., Jr. "Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin Passes." Improvement Era. March 1963. pg. 173, 211.
Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin Passes BY ALBERT L. ZOBELL, JR. RESEARCH EDITOR About his Father's business until the last moment given him in mortality, Elder Joseph L. Wirthlin, former Presiding Bishop of the Church, passed away January 25, in the LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, following a heart attack. With his son, Bishop Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Bonneville Ward, he had gone to the hospital during the noon hour to administer to a friend. While inquiring for the room number, he was fatally stricken. Upon hearing that Bishop Wirthlin had died despite all efforts available at the hospital, the First Presidency said: "It is most significant that his final call home came while he was on an errand of mercy, going to the hospital to bless the sick. His whole life was thus dedicated to service to his fellow men. "We have a vivid recollection of Bishop Wirthlin as he presided over the Thirty-third Ward of this city and later as president of the Bonneville Stake, and indeed extending throughout his service as a member of the Presiding Bishopric of the Church, and ultimately for many years as Presiding Bishop of the Church. "He was one of our leaders in the development of the Church welfare program here in the city and throughout the Church. His devotion to his calling and to the people of the Church cannot be minimized. "While he was Presiding Bishop of the Church, he had his greatest opportunity to demonstrate his greatness as a leader. Wherever he traveled throughout the Church, his influence as a great spiritual leader was felt. He loved the Lord, and his entire life was spent in serving the Lord and his fellow men. Throughout his life, and up to the moment of his passing, he exemplified the two great commandments: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' (Matt. 22:37, 39.) "Among other groups, the blind will always be grateful for the services he rendered them, and will long revere his memory. . . ." At the time of his death, Bishop Wirthlin was serving as secretary-treasurer of the Deseret Title Holding Corporation, a church financial position. Bishop Wirthlin served as the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Church from the spring conference in April 1952 to the fall conference in September 1961. He was second counselor to Presiding Bishop LeGrand Richards from April 1938 to 1946. Bishop Marvin O. Ashton, the first counselor, died October 7, 1946, and Bishop Wirthlin was called as first counselor, December 14, 1946, serving in that position until he succeeded Elder Richards as Presiding Bishop. During the nine and one-half years he presided as Bishop, thousands of young men who later served and are serving in the mission fields received their first priesthood activities under his direction as head of the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church. He loved the great outdoors, and he loved his fellow man. He loved to ride with the cowboys who labor on the vast cattle ranges that are the church interests. He loved the young men of the Church and was concerned not only with their spiritual development, but was concerned also with the training of their hands and minds to use their time well. He knew intimately the problems of his blind brothers and sisters in the Church and spent many happy hours counseling them. It was said of him: "His religion was of the everyday kind, such as is registered in one's behavior on the farm, in the office, at the factory, or wherever he was required to spend his time." Bishop Wirthlin was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 14, 1893, the eldest son of Joseph and Emma Hilstead Wirthlin. He came up through the various quorums of the priesthood, functioning in all of them. He served as superintendent of the Mutual Improvement Association of the Eleventh Ward in the Ensign Stake, was counselor in the bishopric of the Thirty-third Ward, and was bishop of that ward for ten years. He became a member of the high council of the Liberty Stake and was the first president of the Bonneville Stake. He did missionary work in the Swiss-German Mission where he served for one year. Because of World War I, he was transferred to the Central States Mission, where he finished his mission. On September 14, 1916 Joseph L. Wirthlin married Madeline Bitner, who survives with their sons and daughters: Joseph B., Mrs. Judith Parker, Mrs. Gwendolyn Cannon, Richard B., and David B.; twenty-one grandchildren, several brothers and sisters, and his stepmother. Bishop Wirthlin had been a member of the Murray Second Ward for many years, residing on his farm in that area. Several months ago, as the area grew, and the ward was divided, he became a member of the Murray Fifteenth Ward. Funeral services were held at noon, Monday, January 28, in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. The speakers were Elders Marion G. Romney and Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve and President Henry D. Moyle of the First Presidency— each of whom had worked with him over the years in the Church welfare program. President David O. McKay was in attendance at the services. Elder Thorpe B. Isaacson, Assistant to the Twelve, offered the invocation, Elder Carl W. Buehner, of the general superintendency of the YMMIA, the benediction; both men had served as counselors to Elder Wirthlin when he was Presiding Bishop. |