My Weekly Russell: 18) Rank Hath Its Privileges and Other Lost Vignettes

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Gabriel
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My Weekly Russell: 18) Rank Hath Its Privileges and Other Lost Vignettes

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Gentle Reader,

Because the digital ink in this post will be taking up a lot of real estate, I am providing a TLDR. Along with bolding only the relevant passages in each “vignette”, I will also be providing micro-tldr’s throughout for those wishing to speed read through this forum. The first blurb will cover Russell’s foreign language studies, the second will deal somewhat skeptically with his ten-year(!) calling as a missionary on temple square, and the third will recount the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his daughter’s mission call and release.

Unless otherwise noted, all of Russell’s quotes are from his autobiography, From Heart to Heart (Quality Press, Inc: Russell M. Nelson. 1979) (All bolding mine.)


Russell’s Language Studies

I have often heard some skepticism as regards Russell’s actual foreign language proficiency. I certainly am not in a position to give anything other than an ill-informed opinion, but I think that the evidence swings in favor of Russell having an above-average retentive memory. Of that, we will explore anon.

Nevertheless, it is quite remarkable that as a busy father, surgeon, chairman and member of numerous medical societies, traveling speaker, stake president and general president of the Sunday School, Russell also managed to find time to study languages. (Note that he was required to learn French when pursuing his medical degree.)

From his Highlights of 1966, p. 331
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote:October 9-14 -- American College of Surgeons meetings in San Francisco. There I hired a tutor by the name of Anna Pablova Oussova, who taught me Russian at the Berlitz School.
From Highlights of 1973, p.351
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote:During this year I studied Spanish each Thursday night at the University of Utah. The instructor was Mrs. Cleonice Ruf, who, in addition to being a wonderful teacher, was clearly a very special, sweet spirit. I enjoyed this experience tremendously.
To Russell’s credit, for some one-on-one Daddy-Daughter time, he would often bring one of his daughters along for the ride whenever he had to go out-of-town. His Spanish study at the U. of U. was no exception.

He writes of his daughter on p. 328
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote: [Rosalie] was always eager to learn. Not only did she perform well in school, but she went the extra mile. For example, when I was taking classes in Spanish at the University of Utah on Thursday nights, little eleven-year-old Rosalie often accompanied me. I was so proud of her as she joined in with all that was transpiring there.
From Highlights of 1977, p. 378
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote:March 2 -- I began a series of weekly German lessons, tutored in our home by Richard Sutherland. (When Dantzel and I were last in Germany, I made a promise to her that I would never go to Germany again without studying the language first. Therefore, when my regional meeting assignment was changed from Mexico to Germany, I had to honor this personal commitment and begin the study of German.)


And although Russell made no mention of this in his autobiography, we learn some forty years later that in 1978, Russell began studying Mandarin Chinese.

On page 132, from her Insights From A Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson,
”Sheri Dew” wrote:As Russell Nelson headed to the regional representatives' seminar on September 29, 1978, he had no idea that his vision of the world and his experience in it was about to expand exponentially. As General President of the Sunday School, he, along with General Authorities, other General Officers, and regional representatives, heard President Kimball deliver a stirring message about taking the gospel to all the world--and particularly to areas yet untouched by the Church: Africa, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia, Poland, and many other countries. In a special way, he singled out China.

"And what of China," asked President Kimball," the third-largest country in the world? Nearly one billion of our Father's children live in China, one-fourth of the entire world's population. Six hundred and sixty million of them speak Mandarin Chinese. How many of us speak Mandarin Chinese? We must prepare while there is time to prepare to teach these people" (Kimball, “Uttermost Parts").

That evening Russell told Dantzel about the spiritual feast he had experienced that day and, in particular, the strong feelings he'd had when President Kimball began talking about China. "President Kimball told us there is nothing too hard for the Lord," he related to Dantzel, "but that we must do our part to pray for the people of China, to start learning Mandarin, and to extend our own talents in whatever specialty we might have to the Chinese people. I didn't hear President Kimball invite everyone but Brother Nelson to learn Mandarin. So will you study Mandarin with me?"
Russell doesn’t mention studying Mandarin in his book, but he was wrapping his story up by 1978, so it’s quite possible that he didn’t think it important enough to mention at the time.

By the way, it’s a special peeve of mine that the day after this so-called historic, visionary speech by SWK, it was ratified in General Conference that all worthy males may receive the priesthood, yet this truly historic event is nowhere mentioned in either of Russell’s biographies by Spencer Condie and Sheri Dew. Why is that, do you think. Is it because if the lifting of the ban is noted then one would naturally be drawn to question why there was a ban in the first place?


The Man Who Served Thursdays

There has been discussion of late as to whether apologists or other scholars are given special “callings” by this GA or that -- callings which appear to bypass the normal channels that your average faithful chapel member would receive down the normal channels through his or her bishop – “special dispensations” if you will. The following appears to have been the case for Our Hero:

From his chapter entitled Missionary Memories on p. 124
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote: Never having had an official missionary call, I was particularly honored early in 1955, shortly after we returned to Salt Lake City, by a call from Elder Richard L. Evans asking me to serve as a missionary on Temple Square. There I served each Thursday afternoon from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. guiding tourists through the grounds and explaining to them, in an introductory fashion, some of the basic principles and doctrines of the Church. It was my privilege to serve on this assignment for ten years, being released early in 1965 after I became stake president. When Elder Evans learned that I had been called to be a stake president, he felt it was time for me to be released from that missionary activity. But I never asked for that release; I was willing to serve as long as the Brethren would have wanted. Those meetings with Elder Evans and Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Temple Square Mission presidency were very stimulating and inspiring.
Of course, we’ve already seen even from the numerous examples posted in our many Russell articles that Russell would have been out of town for many Thursdays during this time-frame, if only on vacation (which Russell took religiously). Keep in mind also that he was also serving in the bishopric, teaching at the U., had half-a-dozen kids, etc. etc. etc. But, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt out of noblesse oblige and concede that he tried to be there most Thursdays. And kudos to him that “he never asked for that release.”

Nevertheless…


Rank Hath Its Privileges

The TLDR for this little vignette is that Russell’s daughter receives her mission call the day after his “Doors of Death” episode. Two months later she has her missionary farewell. The following evening, a suitor asks for her hand in marriage. Two days later, she is released from her mission call by the “General Authorities of the Church”. Three months later, she and her knight in shining armor are married in the Salt Lake Temple. No further details. No explanations. End of Story.

You can follow the events easily by just reading the highlighted portions in bold script:

From Highlights of 1976, p. 376-377
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote: November 5 -- To Boston on a Church assignment, and for New England Mutual Life Insurance Company meetings. Arrived home on the eighth of November.

November 12 – Flew to St. George. When one of the small airplane’s engines exploded, I expected to be killed. But after a precipitous dive in the disabled plane, the pilot made a safe emergency landing in Delta. I was going to St. George to give the opening prayer for the inaugural services at which Rolfe Kerr became president of Dixie College.

November 13 – Sylvia was called to the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission.

November 14 – Todd Ogaard’s homecoming. After attending that service, I flew to San Diego for Church meetings and the Western Surgical Association annual meeting.

November 15 – Flew to Miami.

November 16 – I was elected chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery of the American Heart Association, and also to the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association.

November 25 – I dedicated our new Midway home to the Lord on this Thanksgiving Day, after making final payment to George Knight for his portion of the contract. Present were Mother and Daddy, the R. F. Rohlfings, Ogaards, McKellars, Mileses, Sylvia, Emily, Laurie, Rosalie, Marjorie, Russell, Dantzel, and I.

December 7 – Sunday School Christmas party. We drove President and Sister Kimball there. Russell and President Kimball had their exchange on the “marriage temple.” (See page 174.)

December 12 – Emily received her patriarchal blessing from Patriarch Harold H. Bennett.

December 14 – Sylvia received her endowment in the temple.

Note: I performed 163 open-heart operations in 1976. All but one of those patients survived, making the mortality rate for this year 0.6 percent.

Accompanying President Kimball and others to the area conferences in the South Pacific was a choice experience. There were so many lovely people we met there. To watch President Kimball respond to revelation and priesthood blessing was indescribably great.
From Highlights of 1977, p. 376-377
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote: January 9 – Sunday. Sylvia’s farewell.

January 10 – David R. Webster proposed to Sylvia and won our approval in a conversation we held at dinner at the Five Alls restaurant.

January 12 – Sylvia was released from her mission call by the General Authorities of the Church.
Released by “the General Authorities of the Church,” no less! With only two days’ notice! My goodness! I can only imagine the logistics required to gather these, the mighty Second-Anointed Ones, from all regions of the Anatole, Dysis, Arktos and Mesembria! No wonder these men fly on the Concorde! I can’t speak for you, Gentle Reader, but I would have loved to have been the pizza delivery boy for that august council!

Three months later…

From p. 240
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote: David and Sylvia were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 15, 1977, with Elder William Grant Bangerter officiating. Afterward, a reception was held at the Heritage House. At the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, I recorded the following account, which I add to this record with love:

Temple Marriage of Sylvia Nelson and David Reed Webster

Elder William Grant Bangerter, of the First Quorum of the Seventy, began with these remarks and counsel:
“My dear brothers and sisters, it is a great occasion that brings us together today. In this room are many, many important people. I see former mission presidents and stake presidents, and we have the bishops of both the bride and the groom -- Bishop Eugene Hansen, and Bishop Boyd Busath. We have the entire general presidency of the Sunday School here (which is most unusual and would not likely happen unless it were a marriage of one of the Nelson daughters) and many other dignitaries. It is a thrilling thing to contemplate the power of those assembled.
Dignitaries. Power.

As an aside, Russell devotes a chapter to each of his children. They almost invariably include a transcript of his father’s blessing after they are born, as well as the talk that is given in the temple by those who are officiating at their weddings. (Spencer W. Kimball, Thomas Monson, Boyd K. Packer, and N. Eldon Tanner officiated at his other daughters’ weddings). Unless, Russell brought his famous yellow notepad to these ceremonies, he appears to have remembered the talks that were given in some detail. This is one reason that I believe that Russell may have above-average retention when it comes to languages. But I digress…

Anyway, the story gets a little bit weirder when, in a different section of Russell’s book, he informs us that this remarkable chain of events was the outcome of inspiration received eleven years previously (and he even noted it in his diary!)

From Highlights of 1966, p. 330
”Russell M. Nelson” wrote:July 4 --Spoke at the Oakley, Utah, Fourth of July celebration.

July 12 -- Dr. Keith Reemtsma was appointed as professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah.

July 17 -- I noted in my diary that I received the inspiration to select Reed J. Webster as new bishop of the North Thirty-Third Ward. He was called on July 31 and sustained and ordained on August 14 by Elder Richard L. Evans. This event is significant also because Bishop and Sister Webster were the parents of a son named David who was then age eleven. Our daughter Sylvia married David nearly eleven years later, on March 15, 1977.

September 14-16 -- Dantzel and I went to Brewster's cabin at Mack's Inn and shared two days with the Brewsters and the Coxes.

September 17-- Dantzel and I gave a party to welcome Dr. Keith Reemtsma and his wife, Ann, into the community. More than a hundred doctors and their wives attended.
Well, Gentle Reader, that’s enough vignettes for this post.

On to the next!

Do zobaczenia później!

Stańczyk
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