President Heber J. Grant’s Birthday

President HeberJ. Grant's Birthday By Henry Smith On his seventy-second birthday, Thursday, November 22, President Heber J. Grant completed his tenth year as the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He celebrated the an- niversary of his birth surrounded by many members of his family and several friends. President Grant was born in Salt Lake, on the site now occu- pied by the Z. C. M. I. store, November 22, 1856, a son of Jedediah M. and Rachel Ridgway Ivins Grant. In his early teens President Grant became an active member of the Church. At the age of 24 he was made president of the Tooele stake and held that position for two years. On October 16, 1882, he was chosen to become a mem- ber of the Council of the Twelve and holds the distinction of being the first Utah-born Apostle of the Church. At a meeting of the Council of the Twelve and the Presiding Patriarch held in the Temple on the morning of November 23, 1918, twelve days after the signing of the armistice of the World War, President Grant was unanimously sustained as head of the Church. He was blessed and set apart for this office by the late President Anthon H. Lund, who, with the late President Charles W. Penrose, became counselors in the First Presidency. This beloved leader enjoys robust health and looks forward to many more years of active service. Prayers that he may be so blessed are being offered in all parts of the world where Latter-day Saints reside, and the Era but voices the desires of all its readers when it wishes this devoted man many happy returns of his natal day. Since boyhood his means and his tremendous energy have been devoted to the temporal and spiritual interests of the Latter-day Saints. He has aided materially in the establishment of home in dustries and the development of our resources. Not only has he given freely to public enterprises, but many individuals have had cause to praise his generosity. To illustrate this trait of his character: While presiding over the European mission, at a time when he himself was in distressed financial circumstances, he heard of a continental missionary who had made unusual sacrifices to remain the regular time in the field. This elder had planned to visit Switzerland but his means were inadequate. President Grant heard of the case and wired the young man's mission president about as follows: "Have B visit Switzerland at my expense." That is but one case among thousands.