Hugh B. Brown
A Future Apostle Serves His Country
Hugh B. Brown served as an officer in the Canadian Army. He later became an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints and a member of the First Presidency. He wrote the following:
In London, one morning, I received a message that some boy wanted to see me in the hospital; and immediately I thought, here is another boy who would like to return to his mother, who perhaps will ask me to intercede for him. As I went to the hospital, I felt just a little pride in my heart because I had the honor of wearing an officer’s uniform. By virtue of that fact I held the right to intercede as an officer of the king.
With this feeling I went into the hospital, and as I was ushered into the little ward where that boy was sick, he reached out to me with a feeble hand and said, “Brother Brown, I sent for you to come and administer to me; I’m afraid I’m going to die, and I want you to ask God to spare my life that I can return home to my mother.”
It seemed to me that my uniform fell from me. All the pride that I had felt in standing in that uniform vanished. At that moment I was made to realize that there is an authority, there is a power inestimably greater than any authority or power that can be given by man. As I laid my hands upon the head of that boy, I interceded for him, not with the King of England, not by virtue of my authority as an officer in that army, but in the name of Jesus Christ and by the authority of the holy priesthood. And as I knelt there, my prayer to God was that never again in my life would I be found seeking the honors of men. I went into that hospital a proud British officer; I came out a humble Mormon Elder.
An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown. Edwin B. Firmage, Editor. 55–56.
