He was one of my heros and one of the best of my generation. Ironically, Ed Firmage is his grandson. Both intensely
brilliant men yet one faithful and true to the Master and the other a persecutor of the faith. I saw President Brown on a couple of occasions and one of the more special was his presiding at the groundbreaking of the Washington DC Temple. It was a cold and drizzling fall day. They had erected some plastic sheeting for those on the stand. All of us in the audience were standing but huddled close together. As Mormons are wont to do the noise of the crowd was considerable. Then this elderly, but still striking man stood, and the audience in awe became silent. He was wrapped in a black cashmere overcoat with a white silk scarf. His hair was swept back and full, white because of the decades of life here. He gazed over the thousands assembled with a very serious if not a stern demeanor. The seconds, even a minute or more, ticked by without a word and then he said, "Many are chilled but few are frozen..." Such was his humor and eloquence.
Following are a couple of quotations from his life and accounts of him. I find great peace when I read his words and hope you find them equally satisfying. He was a lawyer by trade, a soldier and officer and a man of God.
"We are grateful in the Church and in this great university that the freedom, dignity and integrity of the individual is basic in Church doctrine as well as in democracy. Here we are free to think and express our opinions. Fear will not stifle thought, as is the case in some areas which have not yet emerged from the dark ages. God himself refuses to trammel man's free agency even though its exercise sometimes teaches painful lessons. Both creative science and revealed religion find their fullest and truest expression in the climate of freedom.
I hope that you will develop the questing spirit. Be unafraid of new ideas for they are the stepping stones of progress. You will of course respect the opinions of others but be unafraid to dissent - if you are informed.
Now I have mentioned freedom to express your thoughts, but I caution you that your thoughts and expressions must meet competition in the market place of thought, and in that competition truth will emerge triumphant. Only error needs to fear freedom of expression. Seek truth in all fields, and in that search you will need at least three virtues; courage, zest, and modesty. The ancients put that thought in the form of a prayer. They said, 'From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it has all truth - O God of truth deliver us'."
Speech at BYU, March 29, 1958
“We should be dauntless in our pursuit of truth and resist all demands for unthinking conformity. No one would have us become mere tape recorders of other people's thoughts. We should be modest and teachable and seek to know the truth by study and faith. There have been times when progress was halted by thought control. Tolerance and truth demand that all be heard and that competing ideas be tested against each other so that the best, which might not always be our own, can prevail.
We should continue to become acquainted with human experience through history and philosophy, science and poetry, art and religion... One of the most important things in the world is freedom of the mind; from this all other freedoms spring. Such freedom is necessarily dangerous, for one cannot think right without running the risk of thinking wrong, but generally more thinking is the antidote for the evils that spring from wrong thinking. More thinking is required, and we should all exercise our God-given right to think and be unafraid to express our opinions, with proper respect for those to whom we talk and proper acknowledgment of our own shortcomings.
We must preserve freedom of the mind in the church and resist all efforts to suppress it. The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts. One may memorize much without learning anything. In this age of speed there seems to be little time for meditation.
And while all members should respect, support, and heed the teachings of the authorities of the church, no one should accept a statement and base his or her testimony upon it, no matter who makes it, until he or she has, under mature examination, found it to be true and worthwhile; then one's logical deductions may be confirmed by the spirit of revelation to his or her spirit, because real conversion must come from within...”
Final testimony from the “Abundant Life” Edited by Ed Firmage
“Hugh B. Brown, who had served as President McKay’s first counselor, resumed his seat as an apostle. A few months later he would confide in his nephew, N. Eldon Tanner, that he missed the intense involvement of the First Presidency. In failing health, he could attend meetings of the Twelve only infrequently, so Eldon became one of his few regular contacts with General Authorities. Following one visit, President Tanner wrote in his diary, “I am sure it is difficult to adjust after being in the First Presidency.” He added an experience related by his uncle that had helped President Brown adjust to these years of declining responsibility.
“He said it was not a vision, but the Lord appeared to him, very informal, the same as I was sitting talking to him. The Lord said, ‘You have had some difficult times in your life.’ Uncle Hugh responded, ‘Yes, and your life was more difficult than any of us have had.’ In the conversation Uncle Hugh asked when he would be finished here, and the Lord said, ‘I don’t know and I wouldn’t tell you if I did.’ Then He said, ‘Remain faithful to the end, and everything will be all right.’”
[Pp. 254–56 in Durham, G. Homer. 1982. N. Eldon Tanner: His Life and Service. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company.]
1 comment:
My friend and mentor, as a new and inexperienced bishop, Scott Brown wrote me this email about his Uncle Hugh. It is precious and I asked his permission to publish it here:
George,
I had a chance to visit your blog and enjoyed your tribute to RA. We both married up.
Your tribute to Hugh B. Brown was very nice. As you know, he married Sharla and I and was my Grandfather's brother. When my father was unable to work he would visit with Uncle Hugh frequently and he showed great kindness to our family. As a young boy of about six Uncle Hugh came to Kaysville and visited us. He had a beautiful new Buick (glad it wasn't a Cadillac). He asked me if I wanted to drive his car to which I said yes and he took me in the car with him alone and had me on his lap and allowed me to steer the car for a ways. He was a great man and cared for his bedridden wife Zina for many years. Ed Firmage is a putz who has done much damage. Few of Hugh B. Brown's family remained active.
It was Hugh B. Brown's nephew, Victor L. Brown, that became the Presiding Bishop and ended his Church service as President of the Salt Lake Temple which he called the pinnacle of his church service by far. Victor was my father's brother and I got to visit with him many times before prostate cancer moved into his spine and took his life. He was also on the board of directors for the O.C. Tanner Co. Another great man.
President Tanner was our cousin. He also was very kind to my family and dear to me. As a young missionary I was serving in Virginia and was having trouble with my teeth because we were too poor to have them fixed before I went out. That was back when the family sent the money directly to the missionary and I only was out because of friends and family who gave money to my Dad. At one point I went to the dentist and was told it would take $200 to repair my teeth and get me out of pain. It was around Christmas time. I knew my faily had no money for Christmas, let alone to fix my teeth. I prayed with my companion that a solution would come. About a week later we went to get our mail and there was an envelope for me from President Nathan Eldon Tanner. My companion was blown away. I had never told my family about my teeth yet inside the envelope was a holiday greeting and a check for $200. Hard to forget an experience like that. I got my teeth fixed!
I must take after my mother's side because they were all pretty conservative. When I think of the men above, I feel a responsibility to stay faithful and follow the Brethren. I know they will be waiting for me and asking why I didn't do better. Their example is impressive for sure.
Thanks again,
Scott
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