President M. Russell Ballard remembered for his faith, devotion to family

SALT LAKE CITY — Family members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke about President M. Russell Ballard's dedication to faith, missionary work and his family during funeral services Friday.

President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the church's First Presidency, conducted the funeral and shared remarks from the First Presidency. He said President Russell M. Nelson, who leads the church, viewed the funeral proceedings from home.

The letter from the First Presidency said President Ballard, who served as acting president of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is a "dear friend and associate" and called him a "truly remarkable man, husband, father, grandfather and esteemed apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ."

Measuring President Ballard's impact for good during his life would be impossible. He was called a "courageous warrior for truth."

The letter also said President Ballard had a "legendary" zeal for missionary work, and he led out in developing "Preach My Gospel," a manual for missionaries that is now in its second edition.

"He leaves to you, his posterity, a legacy of enduring faith and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As was his hope, he passed from this life into the next with his testimony burning brightly," the message from the First Presidency said.

The funeral was open to the public and can be viewed online.

President Oaks said he and other leaders of the church were inspired by President Ballard's testimony and learned a great deal from him and said he will be missed by church leaders, missionaries and members.

"Fortunately, our loss is a gain for innumerable loved ones and leaders who are greeting him on the other side of the veil. There, and here, his influence for righteousness is and will be profound and permanent," President Oaks said.

First and foremost a father

During the funeral, two of President Ballard's children spoke, Craig Ballard and Holly Clayton, along with Elder Quentin L. Cook and President Jeffrey R. Holland, both colleagues in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

His daughter said her late father would not hesitate to "call the powers of heaven on our behalf," and told about President Ballard's response when she was diagnosed with cancer a few years earlier.

"To his children, Dad is like a mighty oak. He is grounded and solid and steady. Even in his busy and demanding life, he has always been there when it mattered most to us," Clayton said.

She said her father was a father "first and foremost," and her mother was his queen. She said President Ballard was motivated by a love for Jesus Christ.

"We are certain he and Mom are already hard at work behind the veil. We love you, Daddy. Take Mama dancing," she said at the end of her remarks.

President Ballard was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when Craig Ballard was just 15 years old, but the now grown man said his father always made time for him.

Craig Ballard said one of his dad's favorite sayings was, "Keep it simple." He said his father would return tired from his responsibilities and would often take his son to a home or to the hospital to give a blessing. He said the last blessing his father gave was to another patient while he was himself a patient at the hospital.

"Dad moved our souls. He taught us how to live and share the gospel of Jesus Christ through his 88 general conference addresses and countless other sermons," he said. "My dad didn't just preach the word, he lived it every day. He really loved people around the world."

President Ballard is survived by his seven children, 43 grandchildren, 105 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. He is preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Bowen Ballard, who died in 2018.

A leader in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

President Ballard was sustained as an apostle on Oct. 6, 1985, following the death of Elder Bruce R. McConkie, whose passing left a vacancy in the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was sustained as the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by President Russell M. Nelson on Jan. 14, 2018, following the death of President Thomas S. Monson.

Elder Cook said there was rarely a meeting of the apostles where President Ballard didn't mention how much he missed his wife, after her death.

"He encouraged us to be more attentive to our wives and children," Elder Cook said, adding that working with President Ballard to develop "Preach My Gospel" was one of the highlights of his life.

"I am eternally grateful to have been blessed by the power of his testimony," he said.

President Holland, who was appointed to replace President Ballard as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Wednesday, said he was frightened at a time when he was a new president over an international area of the church. He was assigned to work under President Ballard, of whom he said he knew the least about.

President Holland prayed for peace and reassurance. A comforting voice told him President Ballard would become one of the best friends he would ever have, and that he would seek counsel from him for the rest of his life. That answer to his prayer "has been more than fulfilled in every detail a thousand times over," President Holland said.

During President Holland's recent hospital stay, where he said he was "in an unconscious journey to the doorstep of death" for about three weeks, he said President Ballard visited, called or gave him a blessing every day. And he tried to return the favor during the last few weeks of President Ballard's life.

Inspired by ancestors

President Oaks said President Ballard had a close connection to his ancestors, including the first president of the church, Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith.

"As the great-great grandson of Hyrum Smith, President Ballard had a tangible connection to the Prophet Joseph Smith. That connection inspired him throughout his life," he said, adding that President Ballard saw his connection to early church leaders as a responsibility — he felt he would be accountable both to the Lord, and to Hyrum and Joseph Smith.

"I believe, with this powerful motivation, M. Russell Ballard was the most dedicated missionary of our generation," Elder Cook said. "I'm confident that these faithful ancestors have greeted him with love and deep appreciation."

The church invited members to post expressions of sympathy on President Ballard's official Facebook and Instagram accounts. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested donations to This Is The Place Heritage Park, which he helped found as he worked on several church history preservation projects during his time as a general authority.

In 2021, Gov. Spencer Cox designated July 23 as "President M. Russell Ballard Day," to honor his work to preserve Utah and pioneer history.

A private graveside service was held after the funeral, where President Ballard's son Clark Ballard dedicated the grave at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

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