Joseph Leopold Wirthlin (August 14, 1893 – January 25, 1963) was the eighth presiding bishop of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church). Wirthlin was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

. He served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

in the church's

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

–

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

in 1913 and 1914. He served as

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the Salt Lake 33rd

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

in the Liberty

Stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...

from 1928 to 1935. On October 27, 1935, the Liberty Stake was split and the Bonneville Stake was organized with Wirthlin as its first

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

.''Deseret News Church Almanac'', 2005 ed., p. 244. He was set apart by

Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and writer who served as the List of presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, tenth President of the Church (LDS Church), president ...

. Wirthlin became a general authority in 1938 when he was called as a counselor to

LeGrand Richards LeGrand Richards (February 6, 1886 – January 11, 1983) was a prominent missionary and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served as the seventh presiding bishop of the LDS Church from 1938 to 1952, an ...

in the presiding bishopric. In 1952, LDS Church

David O. McKay called Wirthlin to be the church's eighth presiding bishop. Wirthlin called

Thorpe B. Isaacson Henry Thorpe Beal Isaacson (September 6, 1898 – November 9, 1970) was a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), serving as a counselor in the First Presidency to church president David O. McKay from 1965 to 197 ...

and Carl W. Buehner as his counselors. Wirthlin and his counselors served until 1961. Wirthlin died in

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Salt ...

, at LDS Hospital of heart failure, and was buried at

Salt Lake City Cemetery The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States. Description The cemetery is located north of 4th Avenue and east of N Street ...

. Wirthlin and his wife, Madeline Bitner, were the parents of five children, including

Joseph B. Wirthlin Joseph Bitner Wirthlin (June 11, 1917 – December 1, 2008) was an American businessman, religious leader and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was sustained to th ...

, who served as a member of the church's

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...

. Their other children were Judith Wirthlin Parker; Gwendolyn Wirthlin McConkie; Richard B. Wirthlin, a former general authority; and David Bitner Wirthlin, a former

of the church's

Nauvoo Illinois Temple The Nauvoo Illinois Temple is the 113th dedicated temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The intent to build the temple was announced on April 4, 1999, by church president Gordon B. Hinckley during general co ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wirthlin, Joseph L. 1893 births 1965 deaths American general authorities (LDS Church) American Mormon missionaries in Germany American Mormon missionaries in Switzerland Clergy from Salt Lake City Counselors in the Presiding Bishopric (LDS Church) 20th-century Mormon missionaries Presiding Bishops (LDS Church) Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Latter Day Saints from Utah

See also

References

External links