One of my earliest memories of being a Mormon is President David O. McKay. He became the prophet, in April 1951, and served until his death in 1970, at the age of 96. He had been an apostle, at age 32, since 1906. Three years after he was sustained as President of the Church, I was born, in 1954. He was the prophet during all my childhood and teenaged years. I was in 10th grade, a sophomore, in high school when he died. I didn’t know much about him until I started reading a book. But I appreciate his look on life —

He had a sense of humor, “because of his optimism he was able to see past things that were stumbling blocks for other church members and even to chuckle as he accepted human foibles. He told his fellow General Authorities,