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Elder Hugh B. Brown and Elder ElRay L. Christiansen Spent Lives in Church Service

Latter-day Saints throughout the world learned recently of the deaths of Elder Hugh B. Brown of the Council of the Twelve and Elder ElRay L. Christiansen, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve. Both men had devoted their lives to Church work both in Salt Lake City and in the mission field.

Elder Hugh B. Brown served as a member of the First Presidency under President David O. McKay from 1961 to 1970. Prior to his call as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in 1958, Elder Brown had worked as an Assistant to the Twelve.

Elder Hugh B. Brown

Born in Salt Lake City on October 24, 1883, Elder Brown’s family moved to Alberta, Canada, when he was 16. He was called to serve a mission to Great Britain from 1904 to 1906. After his mission he returned to Canada and married Zina Young Card in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of eight children. Sister Brown died December 19, 1974.

A major in the Canadian military during World War I, Elder Brown returned from the war to study law. He practiced in both Lethbridge and Salt Lake City.

Elder Brown served as stake president, mission president, and servicemen’s coordinator for the Church before receiving his call as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve in 1953.

While serving as a member of the First Presidency, Elder Brown told Church members:

“The highest reaches of life are but embryonic in the light of eternity, and man has every reason to hope that a future life will afford him full scope for larger and fuller achievement. …

“We do not claim to understand fully the atonement in all of its limitless scope and infinite blessing; but God has revealed enough detail concerning the need, purpose, and universal application of the atonement of Christ to justify the doctrine that the resurrection from the dead is assured to all men.” (Improvement Era, June 1962, p. 409.)

Elder ElRay L. Christiansen, in addition to his Church callings, was active in educational, civic, and cultural affairs.

Elder ElRay L. Christiansen

Having studied at Utah State University, the University of Utah, and Brigham Young University, Elder Christiansen served as a high school principal and as a specialist for the U.S. Forest Service.

A native of Mayfield, Utah, Elder Christiansen married Lewella Rees in 1922 in the Manti Temple. They are the parents of three children.

After their marriage, Elder and Sister Christiansen were called as missionaries to the Central States Mission. He later served as a mission president, high councilor, bishop, and stake president.

In 1943, Elder Christiansen was appointed president of the Logan Temple and served until 1952. He also served as president of the Salt Lake Temple.

Appointed as Assistant to the Council of the Twelve in October 1951, Elder Christiansen served as coordinator of all Church temples from 1961 to 1972. He was also a member of the Church’s General Welfare Committee.

A former cellist with the Utah Symphony, he was active in Scouting leadership and civic clubs.

In his October 1966 conference address, Elder Christiansen told Church members how to solve personal as well as social problems:

“While many are striving valiantly to do the Lord’s will, it is evident that many men and many nations are drifting away from him. In too many cases, leaders of nations have lost their bearings. Because of vain ambitions, pride, and self-sufficiency, their vision is blurred, and their wisdom is blunted. As a result, vague and untested theories are offered as cures for our social and economic ills.

“Christ’s remedy for such social evils as violence, class strife, and contention is to banish iniquity, revenge, selfishness, lawlessness, and corruption—in short, to do his will.

“‘… for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12.)

“And ‘saved’ in this statement may be applied to social and national problems as well as to our individual salvation.” (Improvement Era, Dec. 1966, pp. 1147–48.)

Plans Announced for Seattle Temple

The Church’s 19th temple will be built in Seattle, Washington, to serve the 170,000 Latter-day Saints in the northwest United States and British Columbia.

President Spencer W. Kimball announced the temple plans after meeting with stake presidents and other officers representing members in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, northern Idaho, and British Columbia. President Kimball, with his counselors, President N. Eldon Tanner and President Marion G. Romney, reported that construction would begin at the end of this year and is expected to take two years.

The Seattle Temple was the third temple to be announced by the First Presidency in the past year. At earlier area conferences, plans for the Brazil and Tokyo temples were made public.

Colorado Priest Won’t Stay Down

Almost anyone has a hard time pinning Kenneth Marsh down.

Ken represented Colorado and Nebraska in international wrestling meets held in Turkey. He grappled in the 143-pound class with a 3–2–0 record. Two of his wins were over Turkish national champions.

En route home Ken participated in the U.S. AAU Junior Nationals in Chicago. He competed there in both free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling, placing fourth in Greco-Roman.

The Littleton, Colorado, priest also compiled an impressive record in school athletics. He was chosen team captain and placed first in a 10-district meet.

Ken’s school wrestling career started in the seventh grade when he was the only member of his class to make the varsity team, competing in the 68-pound division.

Six years and some 75 pounds later, Ken was seeded first in the 10-district championship that he won.

Ken is a member of the Littleton Colorado Second Ward.

[Service for Red Cross]

Suiting Up in Ventura

When the stake president put forth a challenge, the Ventura [California] First Ward priests responded. Concerned about reverence at Aaronic Priesthood and Young Women activity night, President Joseph F. Chapman suggested that each of the priests come dressed in the Explorer dress uniform.

The priests gladly accepted the idea and planned projects to raise money for the navy blazers, center-crease gray slacks, white shirts, and polished shoes. Gone were the jeans-T-shirt-sneakers look and several inches of hair from the heads of many of the priests.

Explorer Matt Tonnies feels that “there’s been a lot less goofing around” since the uniforms have been worn. “We’re also singled out because of our dress. Other Scouts look at us and say, ‘Hey, why can’t we do something like that?’”

Matt says the foremost goal of the group is to fulfill honorable missions. There is one priest who isn’t sure if he wants to go on a mission, so the challenge of the rest of the Explorers “is to see that he makes this his goal,” said Matt.

[Michigan State University Institute Building]

Nine Aaronic Priesthood youths and Young Women of the Copperas Cove Texas Stake recently received training certificates from the Red Cross. Total service hours volunteered in one month for the young people was 180 hours. The Texas youths are (back row from left) Rich Gividen, Dennis Olson, David Helton, Jr., Michael Paskett, Tim Bryson, (front row from left) Terri Hester, Carol Babbitt, Sherry Taylor, and Cindy Jorgensen.

(Clockwise from far left.) Richard Ribble, David Allen, Michael Swanson, Jeff Green, Bishopric Counselor Thomas Frost, Stake Explorer Adviser John Hunter, Bishop George Eads, Ward Priest-Explorer Adviser Kent Tonnies, Matthew Tonnies, Michael Goodman, Bernard Tonnies, John McDowell, David Spoll

LDS students attending Michigan State University now have their own Institute of Religion-Student Living Center. President N. Eldon Tanner of the First Presidency offered the dedicatory prayer on the new facility before students, area Church members, and university officials. The building will house students and serve as a social-recreational center.