By virtue of his position as president of the council of apostles, Heber J. Grant became the presiding officer of the Church at the death of President Smith. Heeding the instruction of President Wilford Woodruff—which was given by revelation, and was followed by Presidents Snow and Smith—that the First Presidency should be organized without delay, the council of apostles met November 23, 1918, in the temple, and Heber J. Grant was sustained and set apart as President of the Church. He selected as his counselors Anthon H. Lund and Charles W. Penrose, who had served with President Joseph F. Smith.
President Grant was born November 22, 1856, in Salt Lake City. He is the son of Jedediah Morgan and Rachel Ridgeway Ivins Grant. He is a man of great activity and endless energy; full of sympathy for the down-trodden and the poor. In the financial world he is recognized as a man of keen ability, yet his life has been constantly devoted to the welfare and progress of the Church, his labors in the ministry dating from his early youth. In 1880 he was called to preside over the Tooele Stake of Zion, succeeding Francis M. Lyman who had been called into the council of the twelve. Two years later (October 16, 1882) he was himself ordained an apostle, having been called, with Elder George Teasdale, to that office by revelation. In 1901 he went to Japan and there opened the door for the preaching of the Gospel, and after his return he was called to preside over the European mission, where he labored for three years.
The General Conference Postponed
Because of the influenza epidemic no meetings were held during the winter and spring of 1919. On this account, the general conference, which otherwise would have been held in April, was postponed until June 1, 1919. On that occasion the solemn assembly of the Priesthood was held, and the authorities of the Church were sustained by the usual separate vote of the quorums. That conference was devoted largely to a memorial service for President Joseph F. Smith.
Dedication of the Hawaiian Temple
Thanksgiving day, November 27, 1919, the temple at Laie, Hawaii, was dedicated by President Heber J. Grant. He was accompanied to that land by President Anthon H. Lund, Rudger Clawson, Stephen L. Richards, Presiding Bishop Charles W. Nibley and Arthur Winter. The dedicatory services were repeated, five services being held to accommodate all the people—1,239 souls attending the services. This is the first temple erected outside of the continental United States, and is for the benefit of the native Saints of the islands of the Pacific, The mission in the Hawaiian Islands was opened in 1850 by George Q. Cannon and others, and thousands of the natives received the Gospel. The site for the Hawaiian temple was dedicated by President Joseph F. Smith, June 1, 1915.
Passing of President Lund—Changes in the Presidency
After a brief illness, President Anthon H. Lund, first counselor in the presidency, passed away at his home in Salt Lake City, March 2, 1921. He served in the presidency during the entire ministry of President Joseph F. Smith, having been chosen second counselor in October, 1901. After the death of John R. Winder, the first counselor, he was advanced to that position in April, 1910. President Lund was a man without guile, faithful and true to the Gospel and to the brethren, and beloved by all the Saints.
At the meeting of the council of the presiding authorities held in the Salt Lake Temple, Thursday, March 10, 1921, President Charles W. Penrose was chosen by President Heber J. Grant as his first counselor, and Elder Anthony W. Ivins as his second counselor. Rudger Clawson was at the same time, set apart as president of the twelve apostles, as he became the ranking apostle after the death of President Lund.