No living person has been a general Latter-day Saint leader longer than President M. Russell Ballard, but during 45 years in leadership and despite descending from a rich Latter-day Saint heritage, he (until now) never saw the need for a biography.
“As I see it, I’m pretty common and ordinary,” he wrote in the preface of the new book. “But in 92-plus years, this common, ordinary man has had some rather remarkable experiences through which I have learned extremely valuable and worthwhile lessons that have shaped me as a special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I can share these experiences in such a way that readers can understand what I’ve learned and see the hand of the Lord in my life, maybe it will help them to better understand the lessons of their own lives and to see how God has been there for them as well.”
President M. Russell Ballard is featured on the cover of his new biography, “Anxiously Engaged.”
President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shares his life story in his new biography, “Anxiously Engaged.” Deseret Book
Now readers can appreciate those “extremely valuable and worthwhile lessons” in the nearly 93-year-old apostle’s new biography, “Anxiously Engaged: A Biography of M. Russell Ballard.” The book’s release date is Sept. 13.
He opens up the curtains to show us how things work behind the scenes...
President Russell M. Nelson’s 2019 meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican was years in the making.
As a friend of all faiths, President Ballard used to play golf with the Most Rev. John C. Wester, archbishop of Santa Fe and the former bishop of the Catholic diocese in Salt Lake City. When Bishop Wester became the archbishop of Santa Fe, President Ballard and businessman Ellis Ivory attended the ceremony to show their support, which Bishop Wester acknowledged and appreciated.
President Ballard and other church leaders attended the ceremony when Bishop Oscar Solis was installed as the new bishop of the Catholic diocese in Salt Lake City.
President Ballard sat on the stand when Catholic scholar Robbie George spoke at the April 2015 commencement at Brigham Young University.
President Ballard was also there when Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington D.C., received a Marriott School of Management Award in 2018.
Because of these deep friendships, Archbishop Wester was willing to help President Ballard arrange a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state for the Vatican and the Pope’s No. 2 man, in October 2017.
“We thought we would have a 10-minute get-acquainted kind of a thing, but he sat down with us. ... We were there an hour and 10 minutes. ... We talked about everything you can talk about: concerns about the world and about the Christian faith. We talked about youth, social media, the lack of interest in religion that is creeping in, secularization. . . . It was a very warm and cordial experience for us.”
This 2017 meeting prepared the way for President Nelson to meet with Pope Francis in 2019.
No living person has been a general Latter-day Saint leader longer than President M. Russell Ballard, but during 45 years in leadership and despite descending from a rich Latter-day Saint heritage, he (until now) never saw the need for a biography.
“As I see it, I’m pretty common and ordinary,” he wrote in the preface of the new book. “But in 92-plus years, this common, ordinary man has had some rather remarkable experiences through which I have learned extremely valuable and worthwhile lessons that have shaped me as a special witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I can share these experiences in such a way that readers can understand what I’ve learned and see the hand of the Lord in my life, maybe it will help them to better understand the lessons of their own lives and to see how God has been there for them as well.”
President M. Russell Ballard is featured on the cover of his new biography, “Anxiously Engaged.”
President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shares his life story in his new biography, “Anxiously Engaged.” Deseret Book
Now readers can appreciate those “extremely valuable and worthwhile lessons” in the nearly 93-year-old apostle’s new biography, “Anxiously Engaged: A Biography of M. Russell Ballard.” The book’s release date is Sept. 13.
He opens up the curtains to show us how things work behind the scenes...
President Russell M. Nelson’s 2019 meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican was years in the making.
As a friend of all faiths, President Ballard used to play golf with the Most Rev. John C. Wester, archbishop of Santa Fe and the former bishop of the Catholic diocese in Salt Lake City. When Bishop Wester became the archbishop of Santa Fe, President Ballard and businessman Ellis Ivory attended the ceremony to show their support, which Bishop Wester acknowledged and appreciated.
President Ballard and other church leaders attended the ceremony when Bishop Oscar Solis was installed as the new bishop of the Catholic diocese in Salt Lake City.
President Ballard sat on the stand when Catholic scholar Robbie George spoke at the April 2015 commencement at Brigham Young University.
President Ballard was also there when Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington D.C., received a Marriott School of Management Award in 2018.
Because of these deep friendships, Archbishop Wester was willing to help President Ballard arrange a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state for the Vatican and the Pope’s No. 2 man, in October 2017.
“We thought we would have a 10-minute get-acquainted kind of a thing, but he sat down with us. ... We were there an hour and 10 minutes. ... We talked about everything you can talk about: concerns about the world and about the Christian faith. We talked about youth, social media, the lack of interest in religion that is creeping in, secularization. . . . It was a very warm and cordial experience for us.”
This 2017 meeting prepared the way for President Nelson to meet with Pope Francis in 2019.
Thank you for posting to this link. I enjoyed the article. I may have to read this book. President Ballard is a good man and disciple of Christ.
I appreciate the news items/stories you bring to light. Even though the purposes for which you do so might be somewhat contrarian.
Does Ballard discuss the protocol of kissing pope francis ring which i think has a design about peter's priority as supreme roman pontiff- if you really want to kiss the pope's ass one should kiss his ring showing respect and fealty(is that a word).
maybe in chit chat nelson asked the pope where he could get such a ring.
one can see how the pr machine works in mormondom- like the yearly picnic at the marriott ranch near DC for all the ambassadors probably paid for by ensign peak funds-this event is specifically to woo the ambassadors so the morg lackeys can get the ambassadors to help when mish visa problems arise.
the courting of rc bishops and the cardinal was to gain points to be used to get nelson through the front door to see the pope- ok i get it!
do you think the tours of welfare square are not partially pr stunt to gain points with domestic and foreign leaders and often first ladies of foreign countries.
at the local level i have seen sp's and bishops invite leaders of other religions to participate in the "day to serve" help the poor activities.
they know how to do it and some good is done even though there are ulterior motives.
can't wait not to buy this book from a used car salesman.
A good friend of mine attends church with Elder Ballard. His primary complaint is that members expect too much of him and the brethren. Well, duh. A marksman hits targets and if he doesn't hit targets he isn't a marksman.
