Delbert Leon Stapley (December 11, 1896 – August 19, 1978) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1950 to 1978.

Early life

Stapley was born in Mesa,

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. He graduated from Mesa Union High School in 1914. As a youth, he rejected a chance at playing Major League Baseball so he could serve an LDS Church mission in the southern United StatesJanet Brigham
"Death of Elder Delbert L. Stapley Mourned"
'' Ensign'', October 1978. and because he didn't want to play on Sunday,Delbert L. Stapley
"Friend to Friend: Pocketknives and Baseballs"
'' Friend'', April 1973. the day Latter-day Saints observe as the

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

. Stapley remained physically active throughout his life, his favorite sport being golf. Stapley was a missionary in the LDS Church's Southern States Mission from 1915 to 1917. After his mission, he was a U.S. marine in the First World War.

LDS Church service

Stapley had been stake president for three years before receiving a call to the apostleship on October 5, 1950. Stapley was also sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on October 5, 1950, at the church's October general conference, filling the vacancy caused by the death of

George F. Richards George Franklin Richards (February 23, 1861 – August 8, 1950) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from April 9, 1906, until his death. He also served as Acting ...

. Stapley was notified of his new calling by church president George Albert Smith in the elevator bank of the Hotel Utah. Stapley organized the original Miami Stake in 1961. In 1969 he received the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Views on civil rights

A letter sent by Stapley illustrates his views on black people before they were more widely assimilated into the LDS Church. Dated January 23, 1964 and specifically stating he was not speaking for the church or in his position as an apostle, the letter urged Michigan Governor George W. Romney to back away from certain positions for civil rights, and he called the bill that became the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

"vicious legislation." Romney is reported to have accelerated his engagement for civil rights shortly after he received the letter.

Death

Stapley delivered his last conference address in October 1977. The following April conference he was too ill to attend. Stapley died on August 19, 1978, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He suffered cardiac arrest at about noon while walking near his home. He was buried in the

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

cemetery. At the time of his death, Stapley was the third apostle in line to the presidency of the church. His vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve was filled by

James E. Faust James Esdras Faust (July 31, 1920 – August 10, 2007) was an American religious leader, lawyer, and politician. Faust was Second Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1995 unt ...

.Swensen, Jason
"'Man of balance' wore many hats well"
''

Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'', 18 August 2007. Retrieved on 20 March 2020.

References

External links