This biographical sketch adapted from "News of the Church: Elder A.
Theodore Tuttle Eulogized" The Ensign, February 1987, page 74
Elder A. Theodore Tuttle, a member of the First Quorum
of the Seventy, was eulogized by President Ezra Taft Benson as “a man with deep spiritual insight, with Christlike attributes” during funeral services
at the Cottonwood Creek Stake Center in Sandy, Utah, December 2.
Elder Tuttle, who had undergone several months’ treatment
for malignancy, died Friday, November 28, in LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City.
President Ezra Taft Benson,
who presided over the funeral services, praised Elder Tuttle for the faith,
dedication, and love of the gospel he exhibited during his life of service.
He is “one whom the Lord loves and has magnified,” President Benson said,
adding that “he will be magnified further as he goes into the spirit world.”
Other speakers included President Gordon
B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency; Elder Boyd
K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve; and Elder Marion
D. Hanks of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy. President
Thomas
S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, conducted the
services.
President Hinckley characterized Elder Tuttle as
“a man of peace and gentleness,” but noted he had also witnessed the misery
of war. “He was accorded a measure of renown [because] he was the Marine
who went back to get the flag from the landing ship to give to the men
who planted it atop Mount Suribachi.” The photograph taken of that flag
being raised on Iwo Jima became the most famous photograph of World War
II.
“He did not shout when he spoke,” President Hinckley
added. “He spoke quietly, reasoning methodically, bearing witness with
solemnity, and all who heard him were touched by the strength of his testimony.”
Elder Tuttle had been a General Authority of the
Church since April 1958, when he was called to be a member of the First
Council of the Seventy. When the Council was dissolved and the First Quorum
of the Seventy organized in 1976, he was called to be a member of the quorum
presidency; he served in that capacity until 1980.
He had served in administrative positions in several
areas of the Church, particularly in South America. At the time of his
death he was a managing director in the Priesthood Department and second
counselor in the General Presidency of the Sunday School.
Albert Theodore Tuttle, the only son of Albert Mervin
and Clarice Beal Tuttle, was born March 2, 1919, in Manti, Utah. He served
as president of his high school student body and as seminary president.
He was active in drama and excelled in debate, an activity he continued
while attending Snow College.
As a young man, he was called to serve in the Northern
States Mission. During this time he served as branch president, district
president, and mission recorder.
He later attended Brigham Young University, where
he was named the outstanding student in religion. After receiving a bachelor’s
degree, he went on to earn his master’s degree at Stanford University.
While at BYU, Elder Tuttle met Marne Whitaker, from
Ellensburg, Washington. They were married in the Manti Temple July 26,
1943.
During World War II, Elder Tuttle served two and
a half years as a line officer in the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater.
When he returned from the war, Elder Tuttle taught
seminary in Idaho and Utah before being named director of the Institute
of Religion at the University of Nevada-Reno. In 1953 he was named supervisor
of all seminaries and institutes in the western states. While serving in
this capacity, he was called to be a General Authority.
Elder Tuttle served as president of the South America
West, South America South, and North America Northwest areas, and as president
of the Provo Temple.
In addition to his wife, Elder Tuttle is survived
by four sons and three daughters, twenty-six grandchildren; and a sister,
Mrs. Clifford U. (June) Gee, Salt Lake City.
Every once in a while Grampa Bill receives an email from one of you that tells a tale worth recounting. What follows is excerpted from one of those emails.
I served in the Australia South Mission (April 1972 to April 1974), and for a time served as Zone Leader in Tasmania.
As such, I was responsible to line up lodging, arrange meeting times, meals, and interview times for all the missionaries serving in the Tasmania area when Elder [A. Theodore] Tuttle accompanied the Mission President (President G.A. Aposhian) to Tasmania for a District conference.
As I was bolting up the steps to the air plane, as it landed in Launceston - I was mentally reviewing the schedule, realizing the time was short, and there was a lot to accomplish. The door of the air craft opened, I shook the Mission Presidents hand, and as I did so, realized that I had arranged for Elder Tuttle to interview all the missionaries, but had NOT scheduled a time for him to interview me. At the same time I realized that there was NO time for him to interview me. Just then Elder Tuttle reached out his hand to shake mine.
At that instant, when our eyes met, I realized: "Well, he doesn't need to interview me. He just did!" In that split second, as he looked me in the eye - he looked in to my soul and there was NO way I could have hid anything from him. A complete interview in just an instant.
Needless to say, it was a powerful-powerful spiritual experience for me, and one I will treasure always.
I regret that I never took the opportunity to share my thoughts of that experience with him, and thank him for it. I feel that this experience helped me to realize what the "interview" will be like when I meet the Savior - and it has, and continues to prepare me for it.
[End of quotation]
